Environmental Benefits of Bamboo
A hectare of 200 bamboo plants (the tallest grass on earth) sequesters 62 tons of of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year compared to mature trees that sequester only 16 tons.
Bamboo releases 35 percent more oxygen compared to trees.
Giant bamboo grows very fast. Under ideal conditions, seedlings grow to their maximum height of 100 feet with plenty of leaves and branches that already do their work of capturing the carbon from the air. Trees take fifty years to mature before they can do the job of carbon-capture.
Bamboo is renewable. Younger bamboo stems that grow from shoots around the original planted bamboo seedlings, replace the harvested mature plants, and reach maturity within a year.
Bamboo prevents soil erosion, landslides and flooding.
Most species of bamboo can withstand even the strongest winds and hurricanes.
Bamboo does not need fertilizer, pesticides, and much water.
Economic Benefits of Bamboo
Around 300 products can be made from bamboo. this offers business, jobs, income opportunities in marketing, construction, and manufacturing for the indigenous landowners as well as the mainstream people of Caraga and beyond.
The whole bamboo plant can be processed to make clean ethanol fuel to replace dirty carbon-emitting fossil fuels.
The adaptability of the bamboo in almost all kinds of terrain, soil, and climate conditions makes our Bamboo Reforestation Project ideal for replication in other regions of the Philippines and the world.
