'Use bamboo in reconstruction'

In an effort to address Nepal’s post-earthquake housing crisis, various stakeholders have come together to launch a new initiative to harness the bamboo resources available in the country to rebuild devastated communities.

The initiative, funded by the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) and implemented by the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) in partnership with the government, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and Abari, a research and design firm that promotes the use of natural materials in contemporary design practices, will work to produce bamboo and promote and develop bamboo-based housing structures in Nepal.

To demonstrate effective models for the delivery of housing to disaster-affected communities, the project will build about 150 houses and 10 transitional schools by using locally available bamboo by May 2016, informed ICIMOD.

CFC is an intergovernmental financial institution that provides financing to organisations and enterprises engaged in commodity value chains in its member countries. Through a range of financial instruments, the CFC seeks to support business activities in the field of commodity development, including agriculture, minerals and metals in developing countries.

So far, the project has obtained government validation and approval of the bamboo-based school design, which will be one of the designs recommended by the government.

Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Agni Prasad Sapkota appreciated the initiatives as it would be more helpful for the poor households.

He was speaking at a one-day consultation workshop on ‘Bamboo for sustainable post-disaster reconstruction in Nepal’.

“Bamboo is a multi-faceted material that can be used not only to help in land restoration, but also in earthquake reconstruction as it light weight and strong,” he said.

Experts and stakeholders organizations suggested the government and other agencies to use locally available bamboo in the reconstruction of the houses damaged by the earthquakes in April and May last year.

Bamboo House in Costarica. 

They said that bamboo, after proper treatment and maturity, can be used for individual houses, and community halls, schools, health posts and other infrastructures.

“Building schools with bamboo is both climate smart and economically viable. This bamboo-based school design promotes the use of local materials, integrates traditional values, and can help strengthen the local economy,” said Dr. Madhav Karki, South Asia chair of IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management.

Over the last 15 years, INBAR and private sector partners in Nepal have developed a number of modern bamboo building systems that meet international ISO standards and have excellent anti-seismic properties, informed INBAR.

“These systems and the related technologies are now mature and can offer an affordable, durable, highly renewable, and rapidly deployable source of building materials for Nepalese communities affected by the April 2015 earthquake,” read a press release issued by the project.

“The sustainable use of Nepal’s 63,000 hectares of bamboo forests will help generate local employment; reduce vulnerability to future earthquakes as bamboo has higher tensile strength than steel and greater compressive strength than concrete; remove the need for imports, as construction material will be sourced locally; and protect foreign currency reserves,” said Oliver Frith, INBAR director of Global Programme.

He said that if used strategically, Nepal’s ample bamboo resources could provide safe, earthquake-resistant housing for the homeless, while kick-starting a green economic revolution that offers jobs, opportunity, and a sustainable recovery.

The workshop was attended by government officials, industry experts, and representatives from non-governmental organizations and civil society.