City of Ho Chi Minh initiates Community Bamboo Garden undertaking on International Bamboo Day
In a significant move towards sustainable development and environmental conservation, the 'Community Bamboo Garden' project was launched in Ho Chi Minh City (HCM City) on September 18. The project, a joint initiative by the Viet Nam Bamboo Foundation, SOS Children's Villages, and the Food Bank Network, aims to create sustainable green spaces through bamboo cultivation.
The project's launch event saw the distribution of 150 gift sets and nutritious meals featuring bamboo shoots to children at a local village. Bamboo gardens are expected to improve local landscapes, provide shade, purify the air, and yield edible bamboo shoots.
The Viet Nam Bamboo Foundation, officially launched on August 2 in HCM City, is spearheading this initiative. Their initiative 'Lũy Tre Làng' (Bamboo Village) aims to advance a sustainable bamboo industry, preserve cultural identity, and tackle climate change through green and circular economic models.
In its first phase, the project will be piloted in selected localities, community centres, and shelters. The SOS Children's Village Gò Vấp is the first home to implement the 'Community Bamboo Garden' project. Hoàng Long, director of the SOS Children's Village Gò Vấp, stated that the bamboo planted will provide green space, practical benefits, and contribute to the physical and spiritual well-being of the children.
The project integrates bamboo cultivation with agriculture, livestock raising, bamboo-based products, and community tourism. It also incorporates the 'Green Hero' initiative, which turns organic kitchen waste into compost for bamboo groves.
Nguyễn Tuấn Khởi, chairman of the Viet Nam Bamboo Foundation, said bamboo is a symbol of resilience, endurance, and solidarity, and a valuable resource for sustainable development. Bamboo, considered a plant of the future, helps to build a compassionate, green, and sustainable community.
The pilot projects of the 'Community Bamboo Garden' in the first phase belong to the areas of regional promotion, education, and sustainable urban development. Khởi hopes the project will spread the spirit of 'green living' and make every bamboo cluster a place of environmental education.
World Bamboo Day, observed annually on September 18, honors bamboo, a plant with over 1,500 applications and recognized as a key material for the green economy. In 2025, Viet Nam is hosting a series of activities to mark World Bamboo Day, reaffirming bamboo's growing importance in cultural preservation, community development, and environmental protection.
The versatile and practical role of bamboo in daily life was underscored during the event. Bamboo gardens are not just about aesthetics; they are about creating a greener, healthier, and more sustainable future for all.
Read also:
- Struggles of Nepal's Himalayan wildlife amidst expanding livestock populations and road networks (opinion piece)
- Coverage of Medical Treatment Questioned: Patient Receives Bill for $17,000 Despite Insurance Promise of Coverage
- Shelter shuts down over avian illness affecting pigeons
- Social Change Advocates : A Compilation of Zines as Driving Forces
