The general objective of this project is to contribute to building a circular economy and resilience to climate change through the development of bamboo-based reliable supply chain development.

Specific Objectives

• Restore and sustainably manage 200 hectares of forest and agroforests, providing quality raw materials and mitigating climate change.
• Improve livelihoods and income of 500 smallholder farmers, supply-chain actors, and small and medium-scale enterprises through efficient supply-chain development.
• Establish the infrastructure and operations for primary and secondary processing, commoditization, preservation and treatment and waste management.
• Strengthen the capacity of bamboo supply chains and enterprise development by supporting institutions and knowledge management systems.

• The web page and brochure for the project were developed.
• A baseline study was conducted in the Sidama Peoples Region and the Southern Nations Nationality and Peoples (SNNP) Regional State.
• 60,638 indigenous bamboo seedlings have been produced directly by the project at six nursery sites. Most of the seedlings were planted during the rainy season and the remaining seedlings were kept in the nurseries for propagating through proliferation.
• Project-related restoration of degraded land was conducted at:
  • Belate – 3.5 ha (Lowland Bamboo)
  • Hawassa – 5 ha (Lowland Bamboo)
  • Arbaminch – 10.5 ha (Lowland Bamboo)
  • Leku – 4.5 ha (Lowland Bamboo)
  • Bonke – 1.5 ha (Highland Bamboo)
• In addition, through the support from the project, about 720 and 4481 ha of bamboo were planted in the SNNP Regional State and Sidama Region by Ethiopian Forestry Development respectively.
• Ten trainings were held on bamboo sustainable management and harvesting, bamboo handicraft skill development, and bamboo entrepreneurship and business development:
  • Dita District, Gamo Zone – Bamboo SMH, 68 participants (41M/27F), from 23 – 24 March 2023
  • Hawassa – Bamboo handicraft skill development, 30 participants (16M/14F) from 08 – 18 May 2023
  • Addis Ababa – Bamboo handicraft skill development, 19 participants (13M/6F), from 24 July to 04 August 2023
  • Bonga – Bamboo handicraft skill development, 34 participants (24M/10F), from 26 June to 04 July 2023
  • Terecha, Dawuro – Bamboo handicraft skill development, 35 participants (29M/6F) from 07 – 17 August 2023
  • Debub Ari, Ari Zone – Bamboo SMH, 77 participants (62M/15F), from 11 – 12 October 2023
  • Woba Ari. Ari Zone – Bamboo SMH, 75 participants (65M/10F), from 11 – 12 October 2023
  • Baka Dawla, Ari Zone – Bamboo SMH, 67 participants (54M/13F), from 12 – 13 October 2023
  • Gelila, Semen Ari, Ari Zone – Bamboo SMH, 79 participants (65M/14F), from 12 – 13 October 2023
  • Addis Ababa – Entrepreneurship and business development, 27 participants (18M/9F), from 11 – 13 December 2023
• Two workshops were conducted:
  • Workshop on bamboo regional level multi-stakeholders platform, 31 participants (28M/3F), from 21 – 22 December 2023, Hawassa.
  • Awareness and sensitization workshop on bamboo supply chain management workshop, 76 participants (14M/62F), from 29 – 30 December 2023, Addis Ababa.
• Cooperation was made with Arba Minch University, Wolaita Sodo University and MIDO (local NGO) on bamboo seedling production and skill development.
• A market linkage event was conducted at Hula, Sidama region, to meet the bamboo growers’ associations with different bamboo enterprises that came from Addis Ababa to supply quality bamboo poles.
  • A total of 85 participants, 25 from SMEs (19M/6F) and 60 from bamboo growers’ associations (57M/3F).
• Support was given to four bamboo SMEs to participate in two trade fairs and exhibition events.
• A highland bamboo resource assessment, biomass and carbon estimation was conducted at Arbegona, Sidama region.
  • Bamboo samples dry-wet analysis was conducted.
  • Data exploratory and preliminary allometric analysis was developed.
• The project has been supporting four bamboo small and medium enterprises found at Hawassa and Addis Ababa.
  • A workshop maintenance was made to Fiker Bamboo Association (Hawassa).
  • Bamboo manufacturing machinery was supplied to a bamboo association of members of youths with hearing impairments.
  • Maintenance of another bamboo workshop and supply of machinery to two other enterprises is underway.
• The project sponsored the project coordinator, a delegate of the Deputy Director General of the Ethiopian Forestry Development (EFD) and the Head of the Bamboo desk of EFD to participate in the First International Symposium on Bamboo as a Substitute for Plastic and attend a Cross-learning study visit in China.
  • The team visited five bamboo manufacturing companies, two bamboo museums and shops and a Giant Panda Zoo.

2024

• 61,449 indigenous bamboo seedlings have been produced directly by the project at five nursery sites. Moreover, through the support from the project, about 1.83 and 10.74 million bamboo seedlings were raised by Forestry Bureaus in Southern Ethiopia and Sidama Regions respectively. The seedlings are planned to be planted during the main rainy season.
• Four trainings were held on bamboo sustainable management and harvesting, bamboo charcoal production, and operation of bamboo manufacturing machineries.
  • Hula district, Sidama Region – Bamboo sustainable management and harvesting, 23 participants (18M/5F)
  • Malga district, Sidama Region – Bamboo sustainable management and harvesting, 20 participants (15M/5F)
  • Hula district, Sidama Region – Bamboo charcoal production, to representative bamboo cooperative members and district EFD experts
  • Bonke district, Gamo Zone – Operation of bamboo manufacturing machineries, bamboo SMEs fund at Bonke
• The project constructed a working shed to Hulegeb bamboo enterprise found at Hawassa, Sidama Region.
• Bamboo charcoal making kiln was manufactured and delivered to the bamboo growers cooperative found at Hula, Sidama Region
• Support was given to seven bamboo SMEs to participate in national trade fair and exhibition events.

The project coordinator participated at 26^th World Congress of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO). A paper was presented and support was given to INBAR exhibition booth in the congress.

For more information about the project, please contact:

Dr. Selim Reza, Programme Manager, selim[at] inbar [dot] int

Dagnew Yebeyen, Project Coordinator, dyburru[at] inbar [dot] int

Melaku Anteneh, Field Supervisor, machinke[at] inbar [dot] int

Ethiopian Forestry Development

Ethiopian Bamboo Association