International Seminar: Generating Alliances for the Economic Reactivation and the Sustainable Development through the Bamboo

Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Ureña (UNPHU), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Special Fund of Agricultural Development (FEDA), International Bamboo and Rattan Organization (INBAR), the International Fund of Agriculture Development (FIDA), and other local institutions organized the I International Seminar: Generating Alliances for the Economic Reactivation and the Sustainable Development through the Bamboo.

The seminar provided a context about the current situation of bamboo in the country and its alternatives for development through a circular economy model, with the world trends of sustainable use of natural resources. 

In his opening words, Architect Miguel Fiallo Calderon, rector at UNPHU, expressed: “To achieve a sustainable development through agriculture is a bet that we identify not only as important but transcendent.”

During the event, several conferences were held: The Bamboo as a contribution to the Institutional Strategy of Environment 2021-2025, dictated by Orlando Jorge Mera, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. Experience of the Bamboo in China, dictated by Mr. Zhang Run, His Excellency Ambassador of China in the Dominican Republic. 

Program Bamboo and their perspectives, dictated by Hecmilio Galvan, from FEDA. Actions of INBAR to promote the development of the bamboo in Latin America and the Jácome Estrella Caribbean, regional director of the Latin America and the Caribbean of INBAR. Performed research about bamboo by UNPHU, dictated by the engineer Francisco Sanchis, dean of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. 

At the activity where present Mr. Rafael Ortiz, Vice-minister of research of the Department of Agriculture; Mr. Fausto de Jesus Fernandez, president of the Cooperative of Savings and Credits and Multiple Services of Bonao in Bamboo and Josefina Pepin, vice-rector of Projects of Investigation, Link and Internationalization at UNPHU.

The event was held on Tuesday, November 16, at Max Henriquez Ureña Hall. 

About the Bamboo

With the economic and sanitary challenges, the current global warming crisis takes us to the need to outline practical, reliable, and accessible solutions. There is where bamboo gets into the picture, acknowledged as one of the most integral plants due to its versatility and contribution to the Goals of Sustainable Development (ODS) and several international commitments, with a world market valued at more than 70 million dollars. This giant pasture provides enormous contributions to generate employments and currency in countries of tropical and subtropical zones, soil restoration processes, protection of hydrographic basins, capture, and storage of CO2, among other ecosystem services.

It is a wealthy region in terms of diversity and the number of bamboo species. Latin America and the Caribbean have more than 10.000 years of using bamboo. Currently, the area has more than 11 million hectares and 560 species of bamboo, representing the third part of the world total.   

In the Dominican Republic, in 1978 was introduced six bamboo species of high growth rate and biomass production based on their properties to conserve soils and water. In addition to the potential for multiple uses, it generates a perfect amount of substitute fibers and its adaptation to the country’s environmental conditions. 

Within the most representative, we have Bambusa vulgaris, Phyllostachys makinoi. Hay, Dendrocalamus latiflorus Mc Clure, D. asper, D. gigantocloa, Bambusa dolichoclada Hack, Bambusa stenostachya Hack; Bambusa edulis Rivera, Bambusa oldhami Munra, Guadua angustifolia, among others ornamental species. 

Its development in the country have had the international support and of institutions of the government as the Environment and Natural Resources Department, the Dominican Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INDHRI), Dominican Institute of Agricultural and Forest Research (IDIAF), universities as UNPHU and Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo and nonprofit organizations as the Center for the Agricultural and Forest Development (CEDAF) and the PROBAMBU cooperative, among more institutions.