CREATE AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR BAMBOO CONSTRUCTION SECTOR IN AFRICA, ASIA AND LATIN AMERICA

Bamboo has traditionally been used as a construction material for centuries. In the past two decades, innovation, technology development, deployment and demonstration, expanded the use of bamboo as a conventional construction material for both round bamboo and engineered bamboo structures. Bamboo is getting widely accepted and/or mainstreamed, and there has been increased attentions and uptake of bamboo as a contemporary construction material. This paper will showcase the lessons learnt from China, India, the Philippines, Nepal, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, etc., and provide a set of recommendations on how bamboo as a sustainable construction material can be mainstreamed to fill the gaps in sustainable construction as well as contributing to local jobs, income and economy.