A presentation given at the Global Bamboo and Rattan Congress (BARC 2018), 25-27 June 2018.

2. PLAN OF PRESENTATION
Presentation of Congolese Bamboo Organization,
objectives and results,
State of bamboo and rattan industry in Democratic
Republic of the Congo
Contribution of bamboo in economic growth for a
green development in DRC,
Recommendation.

3. Congolese Bamboo Organization
objectives, purposes and results

4. Congolese Bamboo Organization is a non-government organization
established in DRC.The organization was formed in 2017 and aims to:
ü Promote bamboo cultivation and develop nurseries of plants for
distribution to different stakeholders (rural communities, public and
private sector, etc.,
ü Advovacy at national level to include bamboo biomass in renewable
energy programs and integrating bamboo into sustainable forest
management plans in DRC,
…… objectives - purposes

5. üValorize non-exploited lands and restore degraded forest
landscapes by planting bamboo,
ü Support bamboo research and provide a source of information
on the identification, propagation, utilization, culture, trade and
appreciation of bamboos,
ü Support community initiatives and female entrepreneurship in
bamboo industry in order to generate livelihoods,
…… objectives - purposes

6. • Instigator of the first celebration of
World Bamboo Day in the DRC chaired
by H.E the Minister of Environment,
celebrated in September 2017,
• Organization of a national workshop on
bamboo utilization and their capacity to
store CO2, organized in october 2017
…… and results

7. • Advocacy nearby to the congolese government for the membership of the DRC to the
International Bamboo and Rattan Organization
• Mobilization of technical and financial partners (FAO and UNIDO) and government sectorial
ministries ready to work on bamboo sector in DRC
• Acceptance by UN FAO and UNIDO of a Project Idea Note for the “Green charcoal bamboo
Project”
• Identification of some bamboos species (Bambusa Vulgaris, Arundinaria alpina, Dendrocalamus)
around Kahuzi Biega National Park classified as a UNESCO world heritage site
• Acquisition of many hectares of land in order to develop nurseries of bamboo commercial
species (Guadua angustifolia, Dendrocalamus giganteus, Moso bamboo and Timor black)
…… and results

8. Indigenous peoples house

10. q In Africa, bamboo has been considered for some years as
one of the promising plants because it has several uses,
q In DR Congo, bamboo and rattan grow locally in all
regions,
q Rattan is unknown by the local population but it’s used as
rope for the construction of houses in villages,
q Many households in villages and urban centers depend on
bamboo resources that improve or create livelihoods by
reducing poverty,

11. q Bamboo and rattan industry is not developed/ structured in the DRC.
q However, bamboo is used by villages households as building materials
for the construction houses,

12. q Around the shores of Kivu and Tanganyika lakes for example, rattans
grow and are breeding grounds for fish by stopping soil degradation and
ensuring food security.
q Bamboo and rattan is used for making handicrafts and being used to
make fourniture,
q Bamboo biomass is used by households as firewood for cooking issues,
qYoung shoots of bamboo are collected and used in local medecine to
treat certain diseases including stomach ache

13. q At the government level, 4 differents ministries
(Industry, Environment, Rural development and
Agriculture) agree working together to implement a
common project to promote the bamboo industry
q United Nations Organization Development Instrustrial
is going to finance this year the first bamboo industry
promotion project in DRC which aim to product
toothpick.

15. • Vast Country: 234 millions ha
• 70 millions inhabitants (2010),
• 155 millions ha of forest (67% du the national
territory):
- ≈ 10% global tropical forests (2nd tropical forest
country in the world)
- ≈ 50% for African forests
- ≈ 60% for the Congo Basin forests
• Congolese forest stores ≈ 140Gt CO2 (≈ 3 years of
global emissions)
• DRC is among the 10 countries losing the most
forest area each year
* Source: OSFAC,
2011

16. üThe Democratic Republic of Congo is a key player in the fight against
global deforestation and climate change mitigation.
üThe country has the second ​​tropical forests in the world with 152 million
hectares of tropical forests;
üThe DRC is a country with a high forest cover, the rate of deforestation is
low but nearly half a million hectares of the country's forests are lost each
year.
üThe Government of the DRC is committed to reach Paris Climate
Agreement objectives of the through low-carbon development including
REDD+

17. üIn 2012, the DRC adopted a National REDD+ Framework
Strategy which illustrates a vision of how the country can meet
its long-term development aspirations.
üThe DRC REDD+ Strategy which includes 7 milestones (Energy,
Forest,Agriculture, Land,Territorial planning, Demography and
Governance) aims to stabilize forest cover over 2/3 of the
country's territory area in 2030,
üBamboo is an alternative that the DRC government can use to
face the risks of forest degradation and achieve the goals of
sustainable development through a green economy

18. However, bamboo can contribute to the economic growth in DRC
because:
v Bamboo can play a very role in land restoration, generate new
income streams and a better quality of life for rural and urban
communities through creation of small an medium entreprises
v Bamboo conversion in charcoal can reduce pressure on
ecosystems natural (more than 90 per cent of households in DRC
use solid biomass for cooking), offers great potential and generate
income to households

19. v The development of bamboo industry in DRC can create many
employs and the trade of bamboo and rattan products can
generate income to the country,
v Whenever an international carbon market exists, bamboo
investments plantation can strore billion gigatons of carbon and
generate income both to the country and local households,
v Bamboo has the potential to play a major role both in social
and economic rural development in a contry. Thus, bamboo can
contribute to the achivements of United Nations SDG

21. q INBAR: Provide a technical support to the government of
Congo which aims to carry out a bamboo species
identification study, (ii) Amplify advocacy nearby to member
states in order to include bamboo both in REDD+ programs
and investments, (iii) include actors from DRC in capacity
building programs
q DONORS: (i) Provide financially support to the Congolese
government that aims to finalize its national bamboo
promotion strategy, (ii) support OCB and others stakeholders
in project context of the inventory of bamboo forests and
their mapping in the DRC

22. qPARTNERS: Visit the DRC, mobilize and coordinate a
multi-donor fund for bamboo investments in the DRC
qPRIVATE SECTOR: Came and visit Congo, Invest in
the bamboo and rattan industry / transformation in DRC
in order to create employs, thus improve the living
conditions and livelihoods of locale population in order to
fight against poverty

23. ------- AksAnti--------
Frank IRAGI
Executive Director / OCB
Tel: +243 815 084 254, Whatsapp: +243 990 098 675
iragifrank087@gmail.com