Bamboo's potential in the energy, construction and textile sectors is attracting increased global interest and China, the world's largest source and processing leader, is well placed to take advantage of the versatile plant's growing popularity, a leading specialist told an international forum on Wednesday.

Bamboo forests in China cover more than six million hectares, according to the national forestry survey conducted this year. This represents an 11 percent increase on the previous survey carried out in 2008.

In terms of export value, bamboo products from China hit nearly $1.9 billion in 2012 and the domestic market in China reached $19.5 billion, Dr. Hans Friederich, Director General of the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) said at an international seminar on the Green Growth and Innovation-driven Bamboo Industry in Huangshan city, Anhui province.

INBAR, established in 1997, is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to improving the livelihoods of rural producers, within the context of a sustainable natural environment.

Dr. Friederich focused on three aspects; energy, building materials and textiles, where bamboo can be used innovatively, expanding on its more traditional utilization such as for chopsticks, and furniture.

"Bamboo charcoal is cleaner than charcoal from some trees, it burns with less smoke and yet it has very similar calorific values," he said and pointed out that programs this type of utilization had been carried out in Ethiopia, Ghana and India.

"It can be used in other bio-energy arrangements, including bamboo chips or gassifying (usually by methods of incineration), and it provides a real opportunity for communities that have no access to power (such as electricity)," he said.

Splicing bamboo poles and processing them under intense pressure and heat into blocks of solid fiber produces a durable and reliable construction material, he added.

INBAR is also working with research institutions to find out if bamboo fiber for textiles can be commercially produced without the use of chemicals.

As the country with the most bamboo species, China leads the world in terms of planting area, varieties and export volume, Zhang Yongli, deputy director of the State Forestry Administration said at the opening ceremony.

In terms of processing and innovation capabilities, China is also world leader and this is driving the booming development in main production areas, Zhang said.

The national production value of the bamboo industry was 167 billion yuan ($27.2 billion) in 2013, 36 percent more than for 2012.

The members of INBAR initially used bamboo for forestation and only some members have the capability of advanced processing, said Wu Junqi, senior program officer under INBAR.

The South American country of Surinam discovered the green benefits of bamboo, its ambassador to China said.

Mineral exploration and exploitation damaged the environment, but planting bamboo allowed the forest to quickly recover and local income levels will be boosted as production skills and expertise from China are put in place, Ambassador Lloyd Lucien Pinas said.

Wu highlighted that bamboo has a relatively rapid lifespan, normally about eight years for each plant. But new buds appear at the end of a year, and this allows growers to replenish stocks.

"Therefore planters need not invest too much at the beginning and they can keep harvesting for years as long as the forest is managed well."

Nepal, too, discovered the plant's environmental advantages and its joining of INBAR is recognition of the fact that bamboo combats climate change, restores degraded landscapes and brings new income opportunities to rural communities, said Mahesh K.Maskey, Ambassador of Nepal to China.

In Nepal, about 12 general and 50 species of bamboo have been planted in 73 of 75 districts, covering an area of 63,000 hectares.

While some projects with INBAR have improved people's livelihoods, rural people generally have yet to realize its full potential as a driver of income growth and this is a very important step , he added.