Three years on, global disaster summit hears how bamboo is helping to rebuild Sichuan, China Geneva, Switzerland, 11 May 2011: Exactly three since China's Sichuan Province was hit by one of history's most devastating earthquakes, the
International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) has addressed a major gathering of leaders, policy makers and scientists about the important and innovative role that bamboo can play in disaster risk reduction and recovery.
INBAR was selected as one of three finalists for the World Innovation Competition, a centerpiece of the World Reconstruction Conference, currently taking place in Geneva, Switzerland, from 10-13 May. Both the conference and competition are about collecting, assessing and sharing examples of local action and innovation in the face of increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters worldwide.
On 12 May, 2008, a massive earthquake, measuring 7.8 on the Richter Scale, hit Sichuan. It left 80,000 people dead, 5.5 million homeless and 1.15
million deprived of a means of agricultural production. Since then, INBAR has been working with partners to strengthen the local bamboo industry to build socially and environmentally sustainable economic growth in the region.
"Bamboo is locally available, easy to process and highly versatile, so it can provide affected communities in Sichuan with many long-term livelihood opportunities," said Dr Lou Yiping, INBAR Programme Director, in his address to conference delegates. "In particular, bamboo is ideal for safe, affordable, earthquake-resistant construction materials, as it's extremely strong, yet also incredibly flexible."
INBAR's project in Sichuan, "Eco-Friendly, Pro-Poor Bamboo Production", is part of the European Union's SWITCH-Asia Programme, which promotes
sustainable consumption and production among small and medium sized enterprises in Asia, and is also funded by the Citi Foundation.
This Sunday, 15 May, EU President Herman Van Rompuy will visit one of eight project field sites in Sichuan, to experience first-hand the ongoing
reconstruction and recovery efforts. The speed and conviction with which the Chinese authorities and local communities responded to the earthquake
has been a significant focus for delegates in Geneva.
But China isn't the only part of the world where bamboo can play a role in reducing the vulnerability of poor communities to natural disasters. INBAR recently launched a Regional Initiative for Economic Development and
Adaptation to Climate Change in Latin America and the Caribbean, which builds on the region's long history of building with bamboo.
Supported by the World Bank, the European Union and the Common Fund for Commodities, one aspect of the programme is to work with coastal
communities in Ecuador and Peru to build elevated bamboo housing that will help them withstand floods, storms and other extreme weather events.
"Innovation is at the heart of what the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction and the World Reconstruction Conference stand for," said Zoubida
Allaoua, Director of Finance, Economics and Urban Development at the World Bank. "Within this context, INBAR's model for post disaster recovery with bamboo demonstrates innovation and promotes the use of local technologies.
Initiatives like these serve as a starting point for further research into models for disaster resistant construction."
The World Reconstruction Conference has been organized by the World Bank, the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) and the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR). For more information, or to arrange an interview with one of our
spokespeople, contact;
Tim Cronin (in Beijing): (+86)13641385174 or
tcronin@inbar.int<mailto:tcronin@inbar.int>
Violeta Gonzalez (in Geneva): (+86)13911269783 or
vgonzalez@inbar.int<mailto:vgonzalez@inbar.int>
About the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) INBAR is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to reducing poverty,
conserving the environment and promoting pro-poor trade through bamboo and rattan. INBAR was established in 1997 and represents a growing number of member countries all over the world. Headquarters are in China and there are regional offices in Ghana, Ethiopia, India and Ecuador. For more information go to www.inbar.int<http://www.inbar.int> or
www.switchbamboo.org<http://www.switchbamboo.org>
Tim CRONIN
Media & Communications Manager
International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR)
8, Futong Dong Da Jie, Wangjing, Chaoyang District
P. O. Box 100102-86, Beijing 100102, P. R. China
M: +86-13641385174
Fax: +86-10-64702166
Email: tcronin@inbar.int<mailto:vgonzalez@inbar.int>
Website: www.inbar.int<http://www.inbar.int/>
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