Sri Lanka, being a tropical country with a lush forest cover had provided a valuable raw material to a thriving wood industry throughout the years. Bamboo resources are mainly scattered around the south-western “wet zone” of the country. It occurs largely as understory growth in state forests. The total area of bamboo resources in Sri Lanka was reported to be 3000 ha of land which is available for bamboo planting along river banks in 2005.

Due to the rapid growing nature and the propagation characteristics of bamboo, it can be used as a valuable alternative for conventional wood and wood-based products. Bamboo grows faster than most trees, helping to improve soil quality and prevent erosion, and has a wide variety of species that can adapt to different environmental conditions. Globally, about 40% of bamboo is used for fuel for wood and charcoal, but a significant proportion is also used for construction, landscaping, and food. Bamboo for industry is a good material for engineering wood products due to its mechanical and physical properties.

In addition to that, bamboo provides environmental protection to communities through water nutrient protection, water flow regulation, water flow recharging, and carbon sequestration to minimize the causes of climate change. Bamboo is a fast-growing woody plant that is a renewable fuel source with a thermal value comparable to that of wood.

IDB in collaboration with the UNIDO introduces in 2019, a fully-fledged Bamboo product training and services center to provide necessary skills and training for the professionals in the wood-based industry and potential entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka to produce bamboo-based furniture, bamboo tiles, bamboo wood treatments. SMEs can gain more opportunities while producing quality handicrafts and furniture to the local and international market. 

Chathurika Kahatapitiya
Enterprise Promotional Officer
Technical Services Division