WHY ATTEND?

The World Bamboo Organization (WBO) is dedicated to promoting the use of bamboo and bamboo products for the sake of the environment and the economy. We play a crucial networking role by connecting people for useful collaborations on all things related to bamboo.

Our effort to physically unite bamboo professionals, researchers, and enthusiasts from around the world is realized during an event called the World Bamboo Congress. Since its inception in Puerto Rico in 1984, each World Bamboo Congress has convened a vast array of individuals, institutions, businesses, and decision makers, and has created new partnerships that have made a real difference for the environment and human communities around the world. The upcoming 9th WBC promises to be yet another ambitious international bamboo event. It will be uniquely informative, educational, culturally and intellectually challenging. The event will highlight the state-of-the-art in bamboo science, technology, architecture, design and industry.

The 6 day event will include lectures divided into distinct categories relating to Science and Society (culture and economics) and Bamboo Design, Innovation and Architecture (constructions and products). Focus will be on current status and future potentials, include Regional Reports and conclude with a workshop entitled, "Bamboo - a 50-year Perspective". Another day will consist of optional tours of interest.

Come and join our effort to increase the awareness of bamboo globally. Where bamboo grows naturally, bamboo is a daily element, but its utilization has not always been sustainable due to exploitation, misguided management policies, or unconscious neglect. The WBC aims to bring the potential of bamboo to a more elevated exposure - to protect natural resources and the environment, to ensure sustainable utilization, as well as promote traditional uses locally and for community economic development. Very importantly, in new arenas around the world, the WBC strives to promote new cultivation of bamboo for new industries such as bio-energy, bio-plastics, climate mitigation, housing materials and medicine.

With a rapidly increasing interest in bamboo products and materials along with skyrocketing demand for information related to bamboo, the World Bamboo Congress will be THE VENUE for people seeking information about bamboo as well as progressive corporations with focus on new bamboo products for the green market.

Carbon sequestration projects such as reforestation with bamboo can earn carbon offsets. Bamboo plantations sequester vast amounts of carbon and do qualify for carbon offsets. It is estimated that bamboo occupies over one percent of the tropical and subtropical forest area - over 22 million hectares. The World Bamboo Congress is positioned as a catalyst for dissemination of the most current scientific and field research information available worldwide in order to effectively expand the world's current bamboo plantations as well as planting areas where selective species will flourish.

All presentations will be compiled electronically into the 9th WBC Proceedings and be made available to all attendees as valuable resource for future reference.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Anyone interested in bamboo as a potential for a biobased economy (Heat & Energy, Biomaterials, Biochemicals, Sanitation) needs to be at the 9th World Bamboo Congress
in Belgium!

The WBC will be a forum to stimulate the dialog between researchers, entrepreneurs, industrialists, ecologists, botanists, architects and policy makers. It is a bridge to cross the gap between supply and demand, need and fulfillment, producer and consumer, problem and solution. Anyone working with bamboo, from the materials engineer to the land-use developer, the farm manager to the forest researcher in the field, the student to the bamboo enthusiast - many topics relating to bamboo will be revealed and discussed.