Mbandaka, November 12th, 2026 (CPA) .– On Thursday in Mbandaka, the capital of Équateur Province in the west of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), an environmental expert interviewed by the CPA advocated for the regulated harvesting of bamboo, citing its benefits, particularly in terms of food and the environment.
“Given their ecological value in climate regulation, combating erosion and water filtration, as well as their role in providing food and shelter for certain animal species, I advocate for the regulated harvesting of bamboo in Mbandaka, through measures that also aim to protect it,” has said Serge Batshina. “There are numerous marshy areas and, through decrees issued by provincial elected representatives or an order from the provincial governor, we can create bamboo parks here in Mbandaka, with the aim of helping to reduce the effects of climate change and enabling our province to benefit from carbon credits,” he has added. “There are many marshy areas and, through decrees issued by provincial elected representatives or an order from the provincial governor, we can create bamboo parks here in Mbandaka, with the aim of helping to reduce the effects of climate change and enabling our province to benefit from carbon credits,” has continued Serge Batshima.
He also revealed that bamboo helps to slow down deforestation. “Bamboo helps to slow down deforestation by sequestering carbon. At present, many people believe that we still have vast forests in ÉquateurProvince, whereas in reality they have been ravaged by human activities,” he has added. He also pointed out that this regulated harvesting should help create jobs and provide the local population with access to alternative building materials.
At the Bolodjwa and Basoko markets, a bamboo stalk sells for between CDF 700 and CDF 1,000 from traders. The province of Équateur currently has no bamboo plantations. These plants grow naturally in the forests, where they are cut down and then sold, mainly for use in building fences around homes. Their harvesting, which is still largely unregulated, thus raises the question of implementing sustainable management measures to reconcile their economic use with the preservation of their ecological functions.