10th World Bamboo Day (WBD) was observed on September 18, 2019 to increase the awareness of bamboo globally by the World Bamboo Organization (WBO). Bamboo is known as poor man’s timber and green gold.
Key Points:
i. It was started by Mr. Kamesh Salam, former president of World Bamboo Organization, during the 8th World Bamboo Congress (WBC) at Prachan Buri, Bangkok, Thaïland in 2009.
ii. According to the State of Environment report 2018, India is the world’s second-largest cultivator of bamboo after China, with 136 species and 23 genera spread over 13.96 million hectares.
Celebration in India:
The Bamboo Forum of India celebrated WBD under the theme ‘Bamboo for sustainable development goals‘ at Lamyanba Shanglen, Palace Compound, Imphal, Manipur. The dignitaries present during the celebration were Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) RK Ranjan, Deputy Chairman Planning and Chairman of Manipur Handloom & Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd (MHHDC) S Rajen Singh, Former President WBO and CF, South Asia Bamboo Foundation (SABF) Kamesh Salam and Chairperson, Manipur State Minorities Commission Anwar Hussain and others.
i. A 2-day International Bamboo Artisans Conclave was organised by the Government of Jharkhand in Dumka on September 18 and 19, 2019.
ii. National Bamboo Mission (NBM) under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare promotes holistic growth of bamboo sector in India.
iii. Under the Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI), the focus to revive the traditional industries like bamboo, khadi and honey, through a cluster-based approach was announced in the union budget 2019-20.
About WBO:
♦ It was originally founded as the International Bamboo Association (IBA).