and - in split form - for walls, panels and handicraft products (Dunkelberg 1985, 1992 and Janssen 1990, 2000). In some regions it is still a low cost material, rather easily available in rural areas. In a few countries, however, bamboo has already become a valuable asset for engineered application. Population pressure has reduced accessible public supply necessitating economical lise and proper processing. Its wider lise is further strengthened as a substitute for timber, which is becoming scarce and relatively more expensive, both, nationally and internationalIy. Bamboo forests and plantations can provide this valuable material on a sustained basis if exploited properly.

As a source of livelihood, bamboo plays an important role in rural development and generates large-scale employment beginning with the management of the bamboo stand, harvesting, transport, storage, processing, trade and utilization. It has great social and economic importance in many countries. Bamboo houses provide shelter for a billion people in rural areas, where bamboo is often thought of as a cheap material. However, in countries like Colombia, with a long tradition in urban bamboo houses, some architects are now using bamboo for high-cost, luxury buildings for the wealthy in a deliberate attempt to accelerate its general social acceptance (Gutierrez 2000).

Although the prospects of bamboo utilization are bright, its wider acceptance appears to be wanting due to problems of biological degradation of bamboo as a raw material, as a component of construction and as a finished product. In rural areas untreated bamboo houses only last between 3-5 years. These can be reconstructed within a few days, an accepted norm for the community. Though a wide range of protective procedures including preservation methods are known to prevent such degradation, these are seldom used. The reasons are lack of knowledge about possibilities of bamboo protection; lack of adequate treatment facilities and chemical preservatives; uncertainty about advantages and economics ofbamboo preservation; and, lack of market for treated bamboo components. Bamboo is stilI a low-cost material and costs rise after proper preservation. However bamboo preservation may turn out to be more economical in the long run and could lead to its more wide spread lise. A continuous demand for treated bamboo material is required to merit necessary installations and to develop and maintain technical skills in bamboo processing and the manufacture of value-added products. Protection of this versatile material, especially in areas where longer durability is desired, can result in immense social and economical benefits, like an increase in bamboo availability, thus facilitating employment potential, savings in processing and labour costs or human-days lost for frequent replacement of degraded bamboo components.

The term 'preservation' is generally used to mean 'all measures to avoid material degradation'. It is important to differentiate between the broader term 'protection' which embraces alI means to protect bamboo and the term 'preservation' which uses preservative chemicals as part of the protective measures. Growing concern about the consequences of applying chemicals for the preservation of timber and bamboo as welI as increasing safety regulations demand consideration of non-chemical possibilities, such as constructional methods, to keep the construction elements dry in order to prevent at least fungal decay. Chemical protection should be applied for specific uses and should be excluded for others because of environmental or being uneconomical. Properly-treated bamboo, on the other hand, will extend its potential lise in harsh environments, expand resource bases and increase export chances.

Consequently this compendium is meant for the protection of bamboo, although preservation will be necessary in most cases. It is intended for people with a basic understanding of the biological and technological characteristics of bamboo, its processing and lise. Therefore only brief information is provided in the beginning about inherent characteristics of bamboo as a material which influence its behaviour towards degradation as well as the various possibilities for protection. Literature on bamboo preservation is scarce, difficult to unearth, and not easy to obtain (for example Casin and Mosteiro 1970; Anon. 1979 a, b; Liese 1985, 1997; Latif et al. 1987; Kumar et al. 1994; Latif and Liese 1995; Jayanetti and Follett 1998; Cusack 1999; Janssen 2000; FRI 2001). The methods of bamboo preservation have similarities and specialities in comparison with timber, whereby the few sources on tropical wood preservation provide useful information for certain aspects (Findlay 1985; Deòn 1986, 1989, 1990; FAO 1986; Willeitner and Liese 1992; Kumar and Dev 1993; Hickin 1971).

This Bamboo Preservation Compendium results from a long-time engagement in bamboo, its structures, utilization and protection. As it were, it summarizes a lifetime of experiences. More than 50 years have passed since the first author's acquaintance with bamboo for pit-props in coal-mines due to timber shortages in post-war Germany. More insight in bamboo utilization was gained during a FAO consultancy on bamboo preservation in 1957/1958 at the Forest Research Institute, Oehra Oun, India. Since then, the interest was maintained in this important and fascinating plant, albeit somehow stilI exotic in Germany, covering mainly anatomy and preservation. Summarizing the anatomical aspects; The Anatomy of Bamboo Culms was published as INBAR Technical Report No. 18 (Liese 1998).

As outlined above, the lise of bamboo requires knowledge about its protection and preservation in many instances. As this subject necessitates a multidisciplinary approach, it-is a demanding topic. Moreover, it is a complex issue and I am well aware that this treatise is likely to be incomplete in a given situation. It was therefore gratifying when Or. Satish Kumar kindly agreed to cooperate in this task. Dr. Kumar was in charge of the Wood Preservation Branch, Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun, between 1982-1999 and has wide experience especially in the chemistry aspects and treatment mechanics of bamboo preservation. We worked together for the first time in 1966 during an FAO assignrnent on the preservation of timbers for cooling towers in India.

The compendium has been written as a joint effort, whereby Dr. Kumar especially contributed the chapters on preservatives, treatment methods and the economics of preservative treatments. All photos were taken by Walter Liese unless otherwise indicated.

At the completion of this work, we should like to express our gratitude to many colleagues:

The first author highly appreciates the information given by his Collegues in the international bamboo world about the prevailing situation in their countries and the experiences obtained, particularly the material and suggestions received from Dr. Magdalena Giron, Philippines. He is most thankful to his colleagues at the Institute for Wood Biology and Wood Protection, Federal Research Centre for Forestry and Forest Products, Hamburg, for their advice and critical reading of the various chapters.

The second author wishes to put on record the help rendered by Vyay Walter of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, Dehra Dun for helping with the communication.

Finally, we wish to value the suggestion and the insistence of the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan to condense the experiences and information on bamboo preservation into a comprehensive form. This was initiated by Dr. I. V. Ramanuja Rao, followed in its operational phase by Dr. Ralf Kwaschik, to whom we express our special thanks for his considerate supervision and his patience.

Walter Liese                                                                     Satish Kumar