Bamboo Industry: Eco-Friendly Construction and Housing

Introduction

"Bamboo has tremendous potential for economic, environmental development and international trade" (Lobovikov, p. 31).

In India, bamboo is considered "the poor man's timber." Over the past 20 years, bamboo has become a significant, sometimes superior substitute for wood. In World Bamboo Resources: A Thematic Study Prepared in the Framework of the Global Forest Resources Assessment, Maxim Lobovikov asserts: "Bamboo may replace wood in many industrial applications and thereby contribute to the saving and restoration of the world's forests" (p. 31). Along with helping meet needs brought about by the increasing world population and efforts to improve living standards — efforts that currently place increasing pressure on forest resources — the bamboo industry is, according to Sarah Fobes in "Bamboo Industry Could Bolster Developing Nations' Economies," currently worth around $11 billion and is projected to reach $15–$20 billion per year in the next decade (¶ 4). The International Network for Bamboo and Rattan reports that approximately 1.5 billion people depend on bamboo products in one way or another. In light of the significance of the bamboo industry, this paper relates relevant research and asserts that bamboo products processed and manufactured for use in constructing houses and household items primarily qualify as eco-friendly.

Due to the distinct perception of bamboo as a renewable and eco-friendly resource, it represents one of the increasingly prevalent natural materials that individuals choose as a substitute for producing various products. Consumer product demands currently lean toward the organic movement. Ann Whitman, the National Gardening Association, and Suzanne DeJohn (2009) explain in Organic Gardening for Dummies that the organic movement advocates natural farming methods while eschewing "the 'chemical' way of doing things, believing that it disrupts the natural ecological order, creating an escalating cycle of dependency on stronger and newer chemicals" (p. 27). "Going Green" — which means "to pursue knowledge and practices that can lead to more environmentally friendly and ecologically responsible decisions and lifestyles, which can help protect the environment and sustain its natural resources for current and future generations" — is becoming the universal term referencing the quality of lifestyle chosen by individuals who seek to live in a more environmentally and ecologically responsible way. The organic and "Going Green" movements, along with others, define the driving force behind consumer purchasing power for what individuals currently perceive as being eco-positive. Consequently, marketing a product as eco-friendly qualifies it as a highly desirable item. This trend constitutes such a strong market force that producers are restructuring their companies to ensure they remain competitive. Changes in consumer attitudes toward eco-friendly products have evolved into a growing number of buyers questioning the sources of their goods and services and the processes used to produce them. In the contemporary eco-conscious global environment, many individuals express concern about the extent of damage humans inflict on natural resources and how to counter those negative practices.

Methodology: During the first half of the paper, the researcher focuses on the social, economic, political, and environmental aspects of the bamboo industry. Through examination of the literature, the researcher investigates the manufacturing and distribution of particular goods produced from bamboo in order to identify and determine whether those goods are genuinely eco-friendly.

Confirming generalizations regarding the specific attributes of the 1,500 species of bamboo proves difficult, as does describing the services bamboo provides to biodiversity within ecosystems. "For example, some monopodial bamboo species are the dominant species in their ecosystem; in parts of Southern China, India, and South America, these bamboo forests can cover thousands of hectares and host species which are indigenous to them" (Bamboo and Rattan, ¶ 1). Some bamboo species differ in their relationship with their surrounding environment and grow as only one of a myriad of species in an ecosystem. Most of the approximately 1,200 species of bamboo — the world's largest plant in the grass family — may be found in Asia. In Riches of the Forest: Food, Spices, Crafts and Resins of Asia, Citlalli Lopez Binnquist, Citlalli Lopez, and Patricia Shanley note that along with regularly serving as a theme in songs, poems, and paintings, bamboo "with its strength and flexibility, has infinite uses and aesthetically has long been a source of inspiration in Asian literature and the arts" (p. 46). One Chinese poem asserts that bamboo is vital: "It is quite possible not to eat meat, but not to be without bamboo" (Ibid.).

General Scope and Definition of Bamboo

In numerous countries, particularly in the East, products made from bamboo are a natural part of everyday life, from the cradle to the grave (Binnquist, Lopez, and Shanley). In the web article "Bamboo: The Miracle Crop From the Past and a Hope for the Future," the writer Stickman points out that in addition to bicycle frames — which date back to 1896 — skateboards may also be manufactured from bamboo. Current skateboard construction involves gluing layers of resilient hardwood with toxic epoxies for strength. When these skateboards are discarded, they release toxic materials — epoxies, varnish, and shellacs — into the environment. A bamboo skateboard, by contrast, would be compostable and would not pollute the environment with toxic materials. In China and Japan, bamboo knives have been used to cut the umbilical cord at birth, and when a person dies, the body rests upon a tray made from bamboo (Binnquist, Lopez, and Shanley, p. 46). Cultures in Southeast Asian countries such as China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam are sometimes referred to as "bamboo civilizations" or "bamboo cultures." Bamboo has been historically used, and continues to be used, for a myriad of products, including but not limited to: military armor, water management in paddy fields, housing components, kitchen utensils, complete houses, animal shelters, baskets, bird cages, ladders, tobacco pipes, picture frames, and woven mats. Bamboo also plays a vital role as a fuel source.

Due to its increasing economic potential, many entrepreneurs and others in the bamboo industry consider bamboo "green gold." Each year, China reportedly sells several billions of dollars' worth of bamboo products to the United States. In Vietnam, bamboo is used to make handicrafts for export to Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Europe, and the United States. Edible bamboo shoots are collected and sold to middlemen, while non-edible, fibrous parts of the bamboo are manufactured into low-quality paper or exported to Taiwan as ceremonial "fake money" burned during religious prayers. China — reportedly the world's most prolific bamboo-producing country — grows more than 500 bamboo species across 4.2 million hectares of bamboo plantations and natural stands. Historically, only specialized artisans manufactured bamboo products. During the past 25 years, however, China has opened the bamboo industry to all sectors of society. One of China's largest bamboo growing and processing regions, located in Anji in southern China, expanded approximately 35% each year between 1980 and 1998. In this region, bamboo culms and shoots serve as the primary source of income for farmers and others employed in the industry. In 1998, 18,900 individuals worked in the bamboo industry in Anji, contributing to a production value of $107 million (U.S.). Exports accounted for approximately half that amount (Binnquist, Lopez, and Shanley).

As bamboo production levels have risen, the amounts of raw materials needed to facilitate that production have simultaneously increased. The bamboo industry in Anji predominantly harvests bamboo from plantations, growing a fast-growing and easily cultivated species locally known as "maozhu" or "moso bamboo" (Phyllostachys heterocycla) (Binnquist, Lopez, and Shanley). Currently in Anji, the cultivation of moso bamboo encompasses 60% of the forest area, with that percentage rising as plantations expand. Along with the hefty production of bamboo, the intensive cultivation practices involve large amounts of fertilizers and pesticides, contributing to negative environmental effects. As Binnquist, Lopez, and Shanley note:

"The use of chemicals and monocultures, along with moso bamboo's tendency to rapidly and vigorously spread out, is stripping natural forest areas and local biodiversity. On the other hand, bamboo plantations can also have some positive ecological effects — for example, when established on eroded or degraded lands — and they can contribute to soil and water conservation. Today, an increasing level of attention is being paid to addressing the environmental damage associated with bamboo plantations and, also, to conserving biodiversity." (p. 48)

The International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR), an international organization established by treaty in November 1997, aims to improve the economic, social, and environmental benefits of bamboo and rattan. According to "Environmental Sustainability," published on the INBAR website, bamboo can provide numerous services in local ecosystems and to the global environment, including "rehabilitation of degraded land and slowing soil erosion" (¶ 1). INBAR's Environmental Sustainability Programme includes goals such as: demonstrating and documenting the benefits bamboo and rattan provide for environmental conservation; identifying endangered bamboo and rattan species and developing management and conservation methods; and demonstrating the role of bamboo and rattan plantations in providing economically viable environmental services while generating income for local people, particularly the poor.

In the web article "Bamboo Engineered Housing," Ujjwal Raj Pokhrel reports that Nepal produces 3.01 million culms of bamboo annually from 62,891 hectares of land. Nepal has approximately 23 genera (24% of the world total) and 81 species of bamboo (5.2% of the world total), found in 73 of the country's 75 districts (Pokhrel, Background section, ¶ 1). Of the total annual production of bamboo culms in Nepal, approximately 600,000–700,000 culms are traded on the commercial domestic market each year. Of the remaining 2.4 million culms, 1.9 million are consumed locally and the rest (0.5 million culms) are traded to India. An estimated 102 metric tons of bamboo shoots are also produced and sold in Nepal annually, all of which are consumed locally (Pokhrel, Background section, ¶ 1).

Pokhrel asserts that bamboo, one of the most environmentally friendly construction materials, is also one of the fastest-growing plants in the world, with a growth rate varying from 30 cm to 100 cm per day. After 60–90 days following shoot sprouting, bamboo reaches its maximum size and may be commercially harvested after three to six years. Bamboo readily multiplies and grows easily in soil not typically suitable for many agricultural crops. Bamboo possesses significant potential to contribute to human and natural ecosystems as well as to environmental sustainability, while also generating economic benefits for Nepal and numerous other eastern regions.

In developing countries, approximately one billion rural dwellers and more than 600 million urban residents live in overcrowded housing, according to the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT). The United Nations Population Division projects that the world population could reach 8.9 billion by 2050, with noticeably higher growth rates anticipated in developing countries. Among the pressing challenges is the massive number of people living in inadequate housing conditions, as well as the millions who are homeless worldwide (Pokhrel). Habitat for Humanity International reports that the majority of Nepalese, who live in villages, depend on agriculture for survival. Threats to their homes include floods, landslides, and earthquakes. Poverty, fueled by lack of employment, has forced one in ten of the rural population to migrate to Kathmandu and other municipalities. Research conducted by Manohar Rajbhandhar confirmed a demand for 34,980 new houses per year in Nepal, contributing to Nepal having the highest urbanization rate among SAARC countries at 3.79%. This migration has exacerbated a shortage of adequate housing in towns and cities.

One Nepalese government study found that more than 200,000 additional houses are needed in Kathmandu Valley alone. Because Nepal depends heavily on importing construction materials such as cement and iron and steel from India, the costs of those materials, as well as timber, have dramatically increased (Pokhrel).

Commercialization and Bamboo for Housing

Bamboo possesses enormous potential to address the scarcity of sustainable building materials for both high-end and affordable buildings. Contemporary building materials — primarily wood, concrete, and steel — are not considered sustainable, as they are linked to high embodied energy. In addition, bamboo that matures but is not utilized within ten years loses its utility. Bamboo therefore possesses the potential to replace some of the more expensive construction materials. Beyond affordable family homes, a number of companies in Europe, South America, and Asia have demonstrated that bamboo may be used to construct bridges, airports, and luxury condominiums (Pokhrel).

In "Bamboo in Hawaii," Carol Bain notes that bamboo's tensile strength equals 28,000 pounds per square inch, versus 23,000 for steel — a significant structural advantage. Although covered bamboo may last only 10–15 years without treatment, the application of a thin coating of mortar keeps insects away and moisture out. Chemical preservation generally proves more effective than non-chemical methods, though it is more expensive and more complicated to apply. "Traditional, non-toxic treatment methods include water leaching, ponding, boiling, smoking, and clump-curing. Costa Rica and Bali successfully use a sap-displacement method called the Boucherie process, where a boron-type preservative is pressured into the culms" (Bain, ¶ 28).

In Nepal, approximately 70–80% of bamboo sold through depots — most of which are located in cities — is used in construction as scaffolding. The majority of handicraft and other enterprises buy bamboo products directly from traders. On average, approximately 0.3–0.35 million culms of bamboo are utilized in construction annually, at costs ranging from approximately NRs. 30–35 million (US $42,000–$49,000) (Pokhrel, 2009).

Bamboo mixed with wood and other materials such as adobe and stone has been used to construct houses as high as four stories in Nepal. Informal sources estimate that around 35% of the houses built in the eastern part of Nepal — particularly in the Siraha, Saptari, Sunsari, Morang, and Jhapa districts — twenty to thirty years ago were made from bamboo, wood, and mud. According to the Nepali bamboo research institute Abari, with modest enhancements, almost all components of a house — including walls, floors, roofs, doors, windows, and stairs — can be built with bamboo.

The use of bamboo in house construction is a sustainable practice because bamboo helps prevent deforestation. The INBAR/TNC bamboo housing project revealed that a 30-square-meter bamboo house saves approximately 10 cubic meters of timber. In broader terms, building one small two-room house with bamboo rather than wood saves at least one large, mature tree. Research conducted in Costa Rica found that only 70 hectares of bamboo plantation are sufficient to build 1,000 bamboo houses per year — whereas building those same houses from timber would require destroying 500 hectares of natural forest annually (Pokhrel, 2009, Bamboo and its use section, ¶¶ 3–4; Major advantages section, ¶ 3).

Using raw bamboo in construction is typically simple, requiring neither large capital investments nor high-tech machinery. Bamboo is a non-dimensional material, however, meaning it is not uniform in age, shape, or size, which can make its use in housing challenging. Extreme weather conditions — particularly cold, dry climates — negatively impact bamboo. When not properly treated, bamboo may be highly vulnerable to fungus and termite attacks. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has not yet approved international building codes for bamboo construction (Pokhrel, 2009). Despite these disadvantages, Pokhrel asserts that converting bamboo into engineered panels may resolve many of these concerns. Like timber panels, bamboo panels could be fabricated to standard specifications, addressing building code requirements and fitting structures of varying sizes.

Currently, the use of bamboo in Nepal for commercial purposes other than scaffolding remains largely untapped, contributing only 1% to the national GDP. To build a viable market for panel-based engineered bamboo housing in Nepal, public acceptance of its benefits is essential. In some areas, thousands of farmers have effectively relied on bamboo growing and selling for their livelihoods, but Nepalese farmers have generally not been able to sell bamboo at reasonable prices in the commercial market. Developing the use of bamboo in construction would help establish a viable supply chain with existing or potential bamboo housing industries and create sufficient demand for available raw bamboo. Prefabricated bamboo houses offer the following primary benefits:

1. They are relatively affordable compared to brick or stone concrete houses (current market price of NRs. 750 per sq ft for bamboo prefabricated houses, compared to NRs. 1,700 per sq ft for concrete houses).
2. They are easy to construct, easily detachable and transferable from one location to another, and have good insulation characteristics.
3. They are environmentally friendly and offer better earthquake resistance (lab tests conducted in India, supported by DFID, demonstrated that bamboo houses can withstand a 7.0 magnitude earthquake). (Pokhrel, Advantages of Bamboo section, ¶ 2)

A number of individuals, including some in Nepal, perceive bamboo as a poor person's material and associate living in a bamboo house with social stigma, considering its use only a temporary solution. This "poor" image significantly retards the potential market for bamboo housing. Using bamboo for high-end structures with improved engineering designs will hopefully raise bamboo's image and increase its use in constructing affordable housing (Pokhrel).

Conclusion: PEST and SWOT Analysis

No matter the country, the researcher asserts, bamboo appears to possess the potential to exceed its reputation as "the poor man's timber." Bamboo will likely replace wood in more industrial applications in the future, utilizing eco-friendly practices. Hopefully, it will in time also be esteemed as a treasure worth greater investment — providing positive returns for those who manufacture, market, and make use of its products.