Bamboo for sustainability and growth

By Pandurang Hegde
18 Sep 2010
While we celebrate the International Bamboo Day, it is essential to recognize and propagate the multiple uses of Bamboo in providing livelihood security to poor, protecting land from degradation as well as in mitigating climate change.

Bamboo is a major source of livelihood in North-east India
(photo: Pandurang Hegde)
Bamboo is an important part of rural livelihood in many countries, especially in developing counties like India. Due to its versatile nature and multiple uses, it is also called ‘poor man’s timber’. Though it grows tall like a tree, it belongs to the grass family. It can withstand the drought as well as flood. During the annual floods in Kosi region in Bihar, it is the bamboo that helps the flood hit villagers. Even during Tsunami, bamboo came to the rescue of people rendered homeless to erect shelters at short notice.

There are more than 70 genera divided into about 1,450 species of bamboo all over the world. India is second only to China in terms of bamboo diversity having more than 130 bamboo species spread across 18 genera. The North Eastern states are the store house of bamboo diversity with 58 species belonging to 10 genera.

Bamboo is grown on 9 million hectares in India, covering almost 13 per cent of the total forest area of the country. In addition, nearly 1.75 million hectares of bamboo area lies outside the natural forest area. The total production of bamboo is 5 million tons per year.

Though Madhya Pradesh has the highest area under bamboo forests, the bamboo culture thrives in the North Eastern region. From the tender shoots as a delicacy food item to the rice cooked in the hollow of raw bamboo, it is part of the everyday life. From house construction to flooring, agricultural implements, the bamboo pervades the life and culture. We find the most artistic skills in bamboo weaving in these regions. Millions of families are dependent on bamboo resources for their livelihood in India.
The advantage of bamboo is manifold compared to monoculture tree plantations. It grows in forest like natural formations either in monocultures or mixed stands among other tree crops. After planting, the fast growth of bamboo clumps start yielding after 4 to 7 years. It can become part of agro forestry practice in small land holding. New bamboo plantations may curb the pressure from deforestation by serving as wood substitutes. It can be planted to reclaim severely degraded sites and wastelands. It is good soil binder owing to their peculiar clump formation and fibrous root system and hence also plays an important role in soil and water conservation.

Climate change and Bamboo
Recent studies suggest that bamboo is more effective plant than trees in increasing carbon stocks through sequestration of carbon. The researchers studying bamboo plantations estimate that a hectare of bamboo has the potential to sequester between 12-14 tons of carbon every year above the ground. Additionally, the extensive root system builds up the carbon sink faster than trees.

When bamboo forest is managed by annual harvesting of mature culms it can sequester more carbon, especially if harvested products are converted into durable products like bamboo furniture or household timber. It can be a good substitute for energy intensive products, thus helping to reduce fossil fuel based products. It is used in over 1500 applications, but until recently the life span of these products was short. However, the upgradation in processing techniques has enabled to manufacture durable products that have longer life, mainly in housing components and furniture.

The international community, Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) as well as Indian government have overlooked the potential of bamboo to address the issue of climate change and enhance livelihood opportunities. Compared to growing trees, a bamboo plantation would repay the investments in carbon development costs within first four years. Moreover, when mature bamboo is harvested, it would fetch handsome net revenues providing employment opportunities to people, mainly artisans. In fact the Medar community in Karnataka is entirely dependent on bamboo weaving, producing items like baskets. They are the poorest groups belonging to the lowest caste among Dalits. One of the ways to strengthen their economic situation is through enhancing bamboo stocks.

The carbon credit business world wide is in billions of dollars. Large high tech projects as well as those which destroy natural forests like micro hydel projects get carbon credit benefits. Contrary to these dubious carbon credit ventures, bamboo plantations can bring the carbon credit business at the doorsteps of poor, marginal communities. If CDM as well as those agencies that are aiming to address the issue of climate change include bamboo as one of the tools to mitigate climate change, it would yield ‘poor man’s carbon credits’.

While it has many positive impacts on climate change, one should also be aware of the negative impact. Gregarious flowering of bamboo in North Eastern part of India and in some regions of Western Ghats may lead to releasing of large amounts of carbon in the form of dry bamboo. There is an urgent need to evolve a rationale policy to procure and utilize enormous quantity of bamboo crop after the flowering. Ignoring this would cause a devastation of fire that would engulf the diversity in the region.

Though India has launched the National Bamboo Mission in 2007, the implementation of this mission is not only slow, but it has failed to address the enormity of the issues related to bamboo. May be, the step motherly attitude meted out to the North Eastern states is one of the prime reasons for such gross neglect of poor man’s timber and negation of bamboo culture. A proper understanding and empathizing with the bamboo culture and financial and technical support would have unleashed the bamboo revolution that would have uplifted the living standards of people in this region.

It is high time the national action plan to address climate change in India incorporates these ideas in ‘green mission’ as an important tool to address the issue. Additionally the government should take this to international flora and give due credit to bamboo.

The great energy divide

By Shankar Sharma
December 2009

Instead of blindly adding millions of MW of additional capacity and increasing GHG emissions to bridge the energy divide, India needs to adopt an integrated approach based on renewable energy sources and decentralized supply systems at its core.

A latest Greenpeace India report has reaffirmed what the country always knew and feared. India, even after 62 years of Independence, has not been able to light homes and streets for its rural population. There still prevails an ugly discrimination in the supply of electricity to rural and urban areas. The Greenpeace report aptly titled "Still Waiting" is based on the survey conducted in five states.

But in the times when the dark clouds of climate change are hovering over one and all, the concern is not just about energy injustice in the country (which is in no way an issue India can sleep over). It is about the much graver consequences this injustice is leading the nation to. Energy consumption is linked with substantial part of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions leading to global warming. Of various forms of energy, electricity alone is responsible for about 42% of global CO2 emissions and about 24% of all GHG emissions. In fact, burning fossil fuels for generation of electricity is one of the main causes of GHG emissions.

India's low per capita electricity consumption is being offered as the main argument in favor of larger carbon space for India. The fact is that for 40% of India's population commercial energy is still beyond reach. If we aim to provide energy security to our growing population in a business-as-usual scenario, the pollution level in our country will be enormous. As per Greenpeace's projection, India's contribution to the global CO2 emissions will increase from about 1,126 million tons in 2003 to approximately 4,039 million tons in 2050, increasing its share in global emissions from 4.8% to 8.7%.

While it may appear logical that India should argue for common but differentiated responsibilities for each country to reduce country specific GHG emissions, its own record of energy consumption by two broad categories of citizens should be of grave concern - Energy profligacy by the rich and lack of access to commercial energy for the poor. As per an earlier report by Greenpeace "Hiding Behind the Poor", much of India's population in the lowest income group have per capita CO2 emissions of about 335 kg, while a small section of the population with the highest income group have per capita CO2 emissions of about 1,500 kg.

Energy consumption by two broad categories of citizens should be of grave concern - Energy profligacy by the rich and lack of access to commercial energy for the poor.
According to the Integrated Energy Policy of the Planning Commission, "to sustain a growth rate of 8% through 2031-32 and to meet the lifeline energy needs of the poor, India needs, at the very least, to increase the power generation capacity to nearly 800,000 MW from the current capacity of about 160,000 MW inclusive of all captive power plants." In this context it is important to note that more than 70% of such additional capacity is projected to be coal based. In fact, successive governments have embarked on a major capacity-addition drive based on fossil fuels and dams in the last few decades.

Such a large-scale addition of conventional power capacity in a short period will have profound impact on social, environmental and economic aspects of our society. The massive amount of coal burning; the large requirement of fresh water and land to support this much of additional power capacity will not only devastate our environment but also push the vulnerable sections of our society to destitution, because of displacement, lack of fresh water and threat to livelihood.

The total installed generating capacity in the country has gone up from 58,012 MW in 1989 to 1,52,148 MW in 2009 - a whopping 162% increase. Total monthly generation from conventional sources has increased from 43,596 MU in March 2000 to 65,057 MU in March 2008, an increase of about 50%. National per capita electricity consumption has gone up from 283 kWH in 1992-93 to 429 in 2005-06, an increase of 52%. But 40% of the households, mostly in rural areas, have no access to electricity even in 2009.
A study on Rural - Urban divide

To compare the electricity supply scenario in rural and urban populations, Greenpeace India selected the five states from four regions of the country. In each state one tier A city, one tier B city, and three villages were chosen for survey. None of the 15 villages covered in the survey were found to have 100% electrification. Even in those villages, where the official records indicate more than 50% electrification of households, the supply is so bad that the per capita electricity consumption is abysmally low. Most states consider one unit a day as the lifeline energy requirement for a family.

Besides, it was found that there is neither regularity in supply nor power is it provided when the people need it most. Generally the power supply is provided in the afternoon hours and late night, when it is not of much use for the villagers. The low voltage and frequent power cuts make it just a cruel joke on villagers.

This pathetic situation of villages is in stark contrast with urban areas, which have almost 100% electrification and enjoyed 22 to 24 hours of better quality supply. "Still Waiting" has revealed that with 100% household electrification and 24 hours supply, each of these villages can attain a much improved lifestyle, drastically reducing need for urban migration.

In Karnataka between 1999 and 2009 the available power capacity has gone up by 70%; energy consumption has gone up by 95%; per capita consumption has gone up by 76%. But 356 villages remained unelectrified.
In Maharastra between 1999 and 2009 the available power capacity has gone up by 54%; energy consumption has gone up by 54%; per capita consumption has gone up by 32%. But 5,018 villages remained unelectrified.
In Uttar Pradesh between 1997and 2009 the available power capacity has gone up by 58%; energy consumption has gone up by 53%; per capita consumption has gone up by 6%. But 12,298 villages remained unelectrified.
About 40% of the entire population in India, almost all of which in rural areas, are still without access to any commercial form of energy, including electricity.

An analysis of the power sector in the country provides real reasons for this gross neglect of rural areas. Huge inefficiencies prevailing in generation, transmission, distribution and utilization of electricity are at the root of the larger problem. These inefficiencies alone -typical characteristics of a badly managed grid based centralized electricity generation system - amount to a total loss in the range of 25-40% of the installed capacity. Few effective measures such as improving the generating plant performance; reducing the T&D losses; minimizing wastage; demand side management (DSM); energy conservation have tremendous potential to overcome the deficits.

Sustainability of centralised supply system

Inherent with a grid-based centralized generation system are the need for long lengths of transmission lines, complex network of distribution systems, and the associated equipment such as transformers. Each of these add to the complexity, reduced reliability and increased capital and operational costs. These centralized generation systems also are found to be economical only with large size power plants and concentrated loads. But Indian villages are widespread and cannot provide substantial loads individually like towns and cities.

The centralized generation/distribution model has inherent problems attached to it in terms of equity also. In a case of power shortage it is the rural poor that suffer. The poor are the last to get power and the first to get shut out of power. Clearly, the present model is not the best way forward.

Few recent initiatives in the private sector to provide electricity to un-electrified villages through standalone community based on non-conventional energy power plants fed by bio-mass OR wind OR solar OR micro-hydel power have established that they are an appropriate solution to energy requirements of most sections of the country. The major advantages associated with these alternatives are the shorter gestation periods, low societal impacts, and their immense suitability to rural needs.
There is clearly an urgent need for a paradigm shift in our energy policy: instead of blindly adding millions of MW of additional capacity, we need to adopt an 'integrated energy resource management' approach which will have renewable energy sources and decentralized supply systems at its core.

In view of the huge societal costs associated with economic, social and environmental aspects of grid-based centralized generation system of conventional power, the decentralized electric supply systems based on renewable energy sources are hugely economical in the long run and the best option for the accelerated electrification of rural house holds.

The overall electricity scenario in the country provides a sad picture of electricity injustice. Unless urgent corrective measures are taken to set right this injustice the overall development of the country will greatly suffer, while accelerating the addition of GHG emissions against our own national as well as global interests.

The deficiencies, complexities and costs inherent in the grid based centralized generation system in India cannot provide any assurance that the rural-urban divide will be eliminated soon and that the electricity supply at the national level will be satisfactory in the near future. The decentralized energy solutions are the right answers to provide quality access to electricity to the rural population.

The poverty alleviation, rural electrification, decentralized electricity supply system based on renewable energy sources, human development, mitigation and adoption to Climate Change are all intricately linked and hence need to be addressed with an integrated approach.

G77's unity cracks at Copenhagen

By Bhaskar Goswami
Copenhagen, 08 Dec 2009

Delegates arriving for Copenhagen Conference (photo: Bhaskar Goswami)

Major developing nations dilute their demand on emission cut commitments of industrialised countries, leaving poor and island nations high and dry at Copenhagen conference.

At the Bella Centre, Copenhagen, it would not be out of place to feel being part of a mammoth international carnival. With a capacity of 15,000 people, the convention centre has been overwhelmed by around 34,000 participants having applied for accreditation to the 15th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP 15) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This is by far the biggest meeting, attended by 192 countries on the issue that is affecting billions worldwide. The media too has turned up in such massive numbers that their accreditation was suspended after the figure reached 5,000 on the opening day yesterday!

The highlight of the first day was when "Climategate" found mention at the opening speech by Dr. R. K. Pachauri, Chairman, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The second day opened with a bang as Michel Jarraud, Chief, World Meteorological Organisation, announced that by early next year when the final data is analysed, 2009 is likely to emerge as the fifth warmest since 1850. Pointing out the extremes of weather witnessed in 2009, Jarraud cited China's worst drought in five decades, Australia's third warmest year and the hottest temperature ever recorded in Vancouver, Canada (not a word about the situation in India... perhaps the report will carry more details).

Meanwhile, the much talked about "Danish Text" was leaked to the world by Guardian1. This caused a major furore as the text is a major departure from the Kyoto protocol and seeks to shift power away from the UN to a chosen few industrialised nations. Few outraged delegates from developing countries were seen mingling with civil society groups while the latter went about the Convention Centre periodically rocking things around a bit with peaceful demonstrations and sloganeering.

The BASIC group (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) tabled a diluted version of demands on developed countries ostensibly to align with the USA. This has caused severe cracks in the G77+China group. In a move that appears as retaliatory, the Association of Small Oasis States (AOSIS), most vulnerable to the rising sea levels due to global warming, is likely to come out with its own declaration that may be in variance of the G77+China communiqué. The UK is trying to exploit this crack by trying to whip up support for AOSIS to demand emission cuts from emerging economies like China and India. The likely winner would be the USA due to this distrustful move by India and the rest of the BASIC bloc.

Experts guide MDI students on climate change

By d-sector Team
Gurgaon, 30 Nov 2009

Having overcome their worries over the global financial meltdown, students of MDI Gurgaon focus their attention on climate change and invite domain experts to guide them on the issue.

At a time when the whole world is repeatedly warned of dangers of climate change, the students of Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon, the premier management institute of the country, couldn't have been left unmoved. So, they joined hands with d-sector.org, a fast emerging information resource on development issues, to organize an insightful panel discussion on the issue during their annual research event 'Delphique'.

During Delphique'09, the MDI students researched seven critically important issues including 'Climate Change: Opportunities and Challenges'. The student research initiative culminated into a series of stimulating discussions with eminent personalities from the corporate and public domains.

With the help of their knowledge partners and faculty mentors, the MDI community explored aspects of economic resurgence and social importance for two days on 28th and 29th November. The event has been a regular and prestigious feature of MDI calendar for the past 13 years. Panels on Climate Change, Entrepreneurship and Analytics were introduced for the first time this year, and a panel on Communications was reintroduced, keeping in mind the critical importance of these topics.

The two-day National Management Convention on the theme of "Resurgence of Industries in the backdrop of Global meltdown" was inaugurated by Mr. Arun Goyal, the Director of Financial Intelligence Unit, India (FIU-IND) at MDI Gurgaon. Dr. B. S. Sahay, Director, MDI and Dr. Neelu Bhullar, Chairperson, Student Affairs, MDI welcomed the panelists and the participants. Addressing the future business leaders, Mr. Goyal explained how India was able to cope with the financial turmoil, where as countries like USA were still bracing up for its long term impacts.

The first panel discussion was on Climate Change with d-sector.org as its knowledge partner. The panelists included Dr. Sudhirendar Sharma, environmentalist and Development Analyst, Dr. Milap Chandra Sharma, renowned glaciologist and Associate Professor at JNU, Mr. Gopal Krishna, environment researcher and activist. Dr. Kuldeep Ratnoo, Editor of the web portal d-sector.org, anchored the discussion. They discussed in detail the history, the socio-cultural factors, political-economy and scientific basis and implications of climate change.

Beginning the discussion, Kuldeep Ratnoo commented that while all national and international meets on climate change at fancy venues end up doing nothing but increasing the emissions, this panel discussion at MDI is unique in the sense that most of the participants, being resident students, have come walking to the venue. He said that every person having access to media has some or other opinion on climate change but nobody can claim to be an expert of issues relevant to it. Mr Ratnoo requested the panelists to help clear the clouds of confusion on the issue by providing insights from the perspectives of scientific research, geopolitics and philosophy.

Dr. Milap C. Sharma shared his research findings on Himalayan glaciers and dismissed the much publicized hype about the fast melting of Himalayan glaciers and the dangers of glacier disappearance. He explained to the students that the glacier retreat and expansion was a natural phenomenon and it happened after every 30-40 years. Showing slides of various glaciers' pictures taken at different intervals in the last 100 years; he highlighted the fact that lately the rate of retreat of Himalayan glaciers had slowed down considerably despite rise in carbon emissions.

"Nobody could authoritatively claim about glacier melt becoming a general trend since different glaciers behave differently even during the same period."
The leading glaciologist, who hails from higher regions of Himachal Pradesh, shared several instances of unpredictability of nature and its working in the mountains. He emphasized that nobody could authoritatively claim about glacier melt becoming a general trend since different glaciers behave differently even during the same period. He said while few glaciers were receding at a rate faster than before, some glaciers in Himalayas were in fact expanding.

Criticising the scaremongers over the retreat of glaciers, Dr Sharma said, "melting and displacement of glaciers and icebergs during summers are natural and by repeatedly showing the difference between pictures taken in winder and summer months, media is adding to the confusion among general public."

"We are told that certain glaciers will disappear within 30 years. I can say it with conviction on the basis of my several decades of experience that all such predictions about glacier disappearance will turn out to be empty scares and nothing else. Even as few glaciers melt, new glaciers take form and expand in the Himalayas. Future projections must be based on wider objective researches and scientific principles rather than drawing room conclusions," Milap Sharma concluded.

Gopal Krishna, environmental health policy analyst, stressed on the need for a change in public policies regarding pollution control as these were getting influenced by the western superpowers. Outlining the geo-politics of climate change, he explained that initiatives to reduce carbon emissions like carbon trading were only focussing on money part and not on climate as the actual carbon emitters had not reduced emissions and just bought some carbon credits.

"The concept of climate change has to be looked in the context of providing solution to this industrial pollution crisis. Industrial pollution started with the advent of industrial revolution in 1750. We locate the political economy of the industrial pollution in the context of responsive thinking to the climate", Gopal Krishna said.

"It's not true that all pollution cost has been externalized, but all cost which pollution brings on human life has been externalized. Thus, the externalization of pollution cost has led to the climate crisis. It's high time that modern economy does its homework and utilises this cost. The cost of drinking mineral water is not high, but the cost in disposing of the plastic bottle is very high" he added.

Mr Krishna said that on the pretext of climate change developed world was pressurising poor countries to cut down their carbon emissions. "Though rich nations are the biggest polluters on the earth, they want developing countries to pay for others' misdeeds."

Responding to a question on the possible outcome of Copenhagen climate talks, which is round the corner, he said, "The United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the original treaty and the amendment to this is Kyoto Protocol. The first commitment period of this Protocol ends in 2012. What is being debated is what will happen from 2012 onwards, whether US will be the part of the next commitment period? The failure of the Kyoto Protocol lies in the fact that industrialised countries who had committed to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions did not meet their obligations. Considering narrow and selfish stand of industrialised nations, a conclusive outcome at Copenhagen is very difficult".

Condemning the apathetic attitude of West, Mr Krishna said "The attempt of the entire developed world is to kill the Kyoto Protocol. They want to ensure that rich countries get the treatment of developing countries"

Noted environmentalist Dr Sudhirendar Sharma provided a unique philosophical perspective on nature, earth and climate. "Humans attribute only 5 per cent to the entire share of carbon emissions in the world. Rest all is by other organisms present in the nature. How do we plan to control them? It's our misconception that carbon is the main culprit. Nature works in balance and the carbon di-oxide that we exhale is life support for the plants" he informed.

Downplaying the media created hype of climate change, Dr. Sharma said, "Earth is a living system and we are part of the whole, not the whole itself. Earth decides its own course and goal and we can't decide its future. It has survived all the past effects and will survive future effects as well. We are following the earth and we can't predict or dictate its course or future".

Distinguishing between the concept of 'The World' and 'My World', he elaborated that this difference in perception was the reason behind the climate crisis. "Each one of us will have to understand our responsibility towards the environment and act accordingly. Viewing the problem of waste and pollution from a rational and business like perspective will not lead us anywhere. Unfortunately, the Western thought views everything from monetary angle only and has no long term scientific and cultural solution to offer."

The research team of MDI students also gave a detailed presentation on the topic and earned praise from the panelists for their efforts. Concluding the discussion, Dr Neelu Bhullar, expressed hope that the future business leaders from MDI would help create a better environment by proposing environment friendly business policies in the organisations they would join after completing education.

Delphique'09 culminated by a valedictory address by Dr. R. K. Pachauri, chairperson of IPCC and the Director General of TERI. Dr. Pachauri opined that while looking at business sustainability, corporates look solely at the financial debt, and completely neglect what he termed the 'natural debt'. He felt that no business could survive in a dying society and urged corporates to restore sources of livelihood back to the masses.

Dr Pachauri also envisaged the abundant business opportunities available in the development of sustainable infrastructure for environment conservation. In his view, politics, science and society should work together to ensure swift and affirmative action. Dr. B. S. Sahay, Director, MDI expressed hope that the research projects undertaken by students during the event would help them equip better for the challenges they would face after completing their education. Dr Bhimaraya Metri, Dean, Academic Programs at MDI, Gurgaon, thanked all the knowledge partners, panelists and participants at Delphique'09 on behalf of the institute.