Bamboo as a sustainable building material for meeting housing needs in East Africa : a value chain case study in Ethiopia
Date
2011
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), Peechi, IN
Abstract
This paper assesses the potential of bamboo to meet East Africa’s urgent housing needs, with
special reference to Ethiopia. The paper is based on a one-month field study of Ethiopia conducted in
early 2011, where local bamboo value chains and their sustainability were investigated through a series
of interviews, questionnaires, and site visits with local bamboo stakeholders. The study highlights that
many rural communities use bamboo extensively as a building material with widespread applications in
wall, roof, ceiling, structural work and scaffolding systems. Ethiopia has a rich diversity of traditional
bamboo housing designs, practices and skills. However, we also found that the sustainability of Ethiopian
bamboo architecture is under threat from modernization, decreasing availability of bamboo resources,
increased rural populations, and lack of adequate processing skills and modern designs. Despite these
challenges, our economic analysis indicates that using bamboo for the development of tourist lodges
and, or, low-income urban housing offer a financially viable means of developing the bamboo construction
sector. Therefore, to ensure sustainable development of bamboo-based construction, the study recommends
that Ethiopian Government, with assistance from international development agencies, should 1) continue
to integrate bamboo with local building materials and promote a broader range of bamboo construction
projects through its urban and rural housing development programmes, 2) prepare building codes and
product standards for bamboo housing and construction products, and 3) develop clear conservation and
utilization policies for bamboo resources to ensure sustainability of the resource.
Description
item.page.type
Journal Article (peer-reviewed)
item.page.format
Keywords
BAMBOO, HOUSING, VALUE CHAINS, ETHIOPIA, SUSTAINABLE BUILDING MATERIAL
Citation
Kibwage, J.K., Frith, O.B., & Paudel, S.K. (2011). Bamboo as a sustainable building material for meeting housing needs in East Africa: a value chain case study in Ethiopia. Journal of Bamboo and Rattan, 10(1&2): 19-36.