Kumasi, April 5, GNA - The International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR), in collaboration with the European Union (EU), and other partners will launch the bamboo firewood and charcoal programme in Ghana and Ethiopia on Monday April 6, 2009.

The "Bamboo as sustainable biomass energy: A suitable alternative for firewood and charcoal production in Africa" programme, is a collaborative project between INBAR, EU, the Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG), Rural Energy Development and Promotion Centre (EREDPC) of Ethiopia, the Federal Micro and Small Enterprises Agency (FeMSEDA) of Ethiopia, the Bamboo and Rattan Development Programme (BARADEP) of Ghana and Nanjing Forestry University of China.

These were contained in a statement signed by Dr Coosje Hoogendoorn, Director General of INBAR, and issued to GNA in Kumasi on Friday. The release said the project is the first of its kind that seeks to develop bamboo firewood and charcoal as an alternative to wood charcoal in the countries that would be expected to benefit from the venture. It said the project aimed at increasing the range of useable bamboos available in Africa establish bamboo charcoal micro and macro enterprises and help governments and civil society organizations to support bamboo firewood and charcoal production and use. The statement said the new bamboo charcoal technologies developed in Asia by INBAR and its partners over the past decade had enormous potential to help reduce deforestation and generate sustainable incomes. It also marked a major step in their application for improved energy security, environment and livelihoods of the people of the bamboo-growing regions in Africa. The statement said the programme would be implemented in Benishangul-Gumuz State, Amhara National Regional State and Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Regional State in Ethiopia and Western region of Ghana.

It is expected to attract at least 1,000 enterprises that would produce bamboo charcoal and 30,000 households would be expected to use it. The statement said over 6,000 people were expected to be trained in bamboo cultivation, best bamboo firewood practices and bamboo charcoal production, set up bamboo charcoal technology centres and develop marketing strategies for bamboo charcoal. It said the EU said the programme was in line with its major concern of promoting sustainable and long term development.