Historically, bamboo has been a basic construction material in tropical regions of the world, often used for shacks, stalls, fences, scaffolding and sunscreens. However, it doesn’t have to remain that way.
Today, bamboo can serve as an invaluable building material for permanent buildings and structures, especially in developing countries, in place of steel or reinforced concrete, which typically have to be imported at great cost (Hebel, D.).
- Bamboo is environmental-friendly and captures and converts carbon emissions.
- Bamboo grows rapidly, much faster than wood.
- Bamboo is relatively easy to propagate and is readily available in many regions throughout the world.
- Bamboo is flexible, and can bend to withstand wind forces.
- Bamboo can be used to clothing and other crafts.
- Bamboo can be used to create furniture.
- Bamboo can be prefabricated locally into flooring material. #producedontimport
- Temporary shelter, for example short-term for disaster victims and refugees.
- When appropriately grown, cut, treated, dried, and laminated, bamboo is strong enough to replace timber as a structural building material. Future research to study its properties is being done at the Singapore-ETH Center in the Future Cities Laboratory.
- Bamboo can also be used for building infrastructure. Historically, bridges were built out of bamboo in 10th century AD China as well as floating villages with bamboo platforms
- (Bonus). Bamboo can serve as a yummy treat for cuddly panda bears.
Panda munching bamboo 
Bamboo trees
SOURCES
- Ubud News. (2017). Vale Linda Garland, Legend. http://ubudnowandthen.com/vale-linda-garland-legend/. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
2. Jackson, D. (2019). Permaculture Research Institute. Bamboo Architecture: Bali’s Green School Inspired a Global Renaissance. https://permaculturenews.org/2019/09/30/bamboo-architecture/. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
3. Hebel, D. (2014). Bamboo Could Turn the World’s Construction Trade on Its Head. http://theconversation.com/bamboo-could-turn-the-worlds-construction-trade-on-its-head-29685. Retrieved January 4, 2020.