We are developing a bamboo reforestation program in Rosita, Nicaragua to provide locals with a sustainable raw material for affordable housing and a source of income for local farmers.
Nicaragua faces a severe affordable housing deficit of 500,000 homes, particularly in rural areas. 80% of the rural poor depend on agriculture for their livelihood, even though most of the land is marginally productive. 68% of the residents struggle to survive on approximately US$1 per day. In addition, Nicaragua faces problems relating to deforestation, such as fertile land loss due to topsoil erosion, increased flooding and mudslides, and a reduction in carbon sinks.
Bamboo reforestation and harvesting will provide hardwood material for low-cost housing, a crop for domestic use and export, and increased income for local farmers. Bamboo also sequesters carbon from the atmosphere and leads to topsoil cohesion.
Bamboo reforestation and harvesting will improve the availability of affordable housing, provide additional income for local farmers and protect the environment from erosion and natural disasters.
