Mianzi - going green with bamboo

operly coordinated, may improve livelihoods of many people. Bamboo grows naturally on some parts of Tanzania, especially in the high rainfall forests and in lowland areas receiving good rainfall. Bamboo forests play a vital role in prevention of soil erosion and landslide, especially in ecologically sensitive regions where the forest cover has been indiscriminately destroyed or depleted by over-exploitation of timber and other forest resources. It is also important for construction, agriculture, clothing, housing, paper, pharmaceuticals, fuels and many other industries. Bamboo with its wood-like properties provides good substitutes for wood reducing demand on forest resources. The bamboo provides high protein feed for the goats and cattle kept by the communities. The bamboo provides a fuel for cooking and heating instead of coal or cutting indigenous trees. As a fast growing biomass source it opens up the opportunity for value added manufacture which offers a direct enterprise opportunity as an out-grower or participant in the manufacturing. Furthermore, provides job generation, livelihoods especially among women and in rural places.