Events
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Global Bamboo Resources Assessment Workshop
The Global Bamboo Thematic Study Workshop has been held at the INBAR Headquarters in Beijing from 9 to 11 May 2005. The Workshop was jointly organized and sponsored by the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), INBAR, IFAD, PRC State Forest Administration and International Center for Bamboo and Rattan. Over 30 National Correspondents for the FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) 2005 and their representatives were sponsored by the Workshop Organizing Committee to attend the event. They came to China to present their country reports and discuss future of the global bamboo resources assessment. The purpose of the Workshop was to incorporate bamboo into the general framework of the Global Forest Assessment conducted by FAO since 1949 once in 5-10 years. The FAO forest assessment is the ultimate data source for the global forest resources statistics, forestry planning and monitoring.
The purpose of the Workshop has been successfully achieved. Bamboo Thematic Study is now included as seventh high priority thematic studies under the FRA umbrella along with planted forests, forest fires, mangroves, ownership, forests and water and pests. Bamboo is an integral component of the global forest cover. Proper assessment of bamboo is vitally important for its sustainable use and economic development of bamboo industries around the glob.
During three days Workshop, including one day field trip, delegates thoroughly discussed the current status, format and needs for the bamboo resources evaluation. In the final Resolution the meeting participants emphasized importance of bamboo for the poverty alleviation, forest conservation, economic, and environmental development and called for the other bamboo producing countries to present INBAR and FAO their bamboo studies reports. The resolution also called for FAO and INBAR to arrange the follow-up Workshop for developing the on-the-ground and remote sensing methods to validate and estimate world bamboo resources. The next Workshop is now planned in China on 24 October - 4 November and will include one week Seminar at the INBAR Headquarters in Beijing followed by the training hands-on course on using bamboo Assessment Manual in a Southern province of China.
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