NewsTanzania launches new plan for bamboo development
H.E. Angellah Kairuki, Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism (left) and H.E. Ali Mchumo, Director General of INBAR (right).
A National Bamboo Strategy and Action Plan has been launched in Tanzania, paving the way for the country to fully utilize bamboo as a renewable resource and tool to combat climate change.
The National Bamboo Strategy and Action Plan seeks to develop a framework for encouraging bamboo production, processing, and usage across several economic sectors, including carbon credit programs based on bamboo. The launch event occurred in Tanzania’s National College of Tourism Dar-es-Salaam with H.E. Angellah Kairuki, Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, and H.E. Ali Mchumo, Director General of INBAR. Representatives from line ministries, donors, private investors and SMEs also attended the event.
During the opening statements, Mchumo emphasised the importance of creating a bamboo strategy to attract investors and donors to the sector. INBAR implemented the IFAD-EU-supported bamboo development project in Tanzania from 2016-2018, experimenting with new species and encouraging bamboo enterprise development through South-South knowledge transfer initiatives. Backing the National Bamboo Strategy and Action Plan will be crucial for the sector’s expansion, he mentioned. The Tanzanian Government should enhance current efforts and allocate more resources to support more ambitious projects.
Speakers present at the opening ceremony.
During the keynote address, Kairuki emphasized the importance of the National Bamboo Strategy and Action Plan for boosting the sector. This overlooked natural resource has the potential to enhance the lives of millions of Tanzanians and strengthen the country’s economy while also aiding in climate change mitigation. She also mentioned that Tanzania has been an active member of INBAR since 1997, and the time has come to act proactively to fully tap into the country’s bamboo resources.
Mr. Hassan Abbasi Said, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, said that the Tanzanian government would foster an environment that is favorable to businesses in order to facilitate the growth of bamboo value chains. The Director of Forestry and Beekeeping Division, Mr. Deusdedit K. Bwoyo, also announced that the government’s line departments will closely collaborate to put the bamboo plan into action for the betterment of the nation.
Representatives hold physical copies of the strategy and action plan.
