An ambitious and innovative $2 million project launched in New Delhi aims at strengthening India’s role as a leader in the world cane and bamboo industry.
The four-year project was launched by the Union minister for the development of northeastern region, Mani Shankar Aiyar at a function in the presence of the UNIDO Director-General Kandeh Yumkella.
The project will be implemented with effect from May 2008. UNIDO will be the executing agency, with the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), North Eastern Council and Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) as the coordinating and counterpart agencies. Of the total project cost of $ 2,307,373, the donor contribution of India is $ 1,868,472 from DIPP, NEC and DC (Handicrafts); and $ 196,000 as UNIDO’s contribution.
Describing bamboo as a promising agro-commodity and an economic lifeline for the people of the region, Yumkella said the project would be an excellent opportunity to further strengthen long-term cooperation between UNIDO and its three Indian partners in this important endeavour, namely DIPP, NEC and DC (Handicrafts), all of whom were convinced that bamboo could be a major vehicle for rural agro-commodity based livelihood development.
The first phase of the project was successfully implemented during 2000-2004 leading to the creation of the Cane and Bamboo Technology Centre. This would now be developed as an international hub and service provider for the global cane and bamboo sector. Phase 1 of the project had created awareness about the value and industrial potential of bamboo in the North East through training and transfer of know-how. Phase 1 had a positive impact on poor rural communities by increasing their capacity to earn a living through processing of bamboo products, especially handicrafts.
Phase 2 of the project, which complements strategies of the National Mission on Bamboo Applications of the Indian government and the North-Eastern Regional Bamboo Mission, will reach out even further to the communities and contribute to rural livelihoods by organising cane and bamboo farmers and producers into associations; and extending supply chains from plantation management and pre-processing to industrial processing and marketing.
India has one of the highest concentrations of bamboo in the world, and it is a vital element of India’s North Eastern region comprising the states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. It is a lifeline resource that generates jobs, skills and relevant technologies, as well as general economic well-being, while contributing to environmental enhancement and rural development.
UNIDO has been involved in numerous bamboo projects in developing countries and stands at the forefront of job creation and poverty alleviation through development of bamboo industries around the world.