Guwahati, Oct. 14: The bamboo-growing nations of the world are looking towards the Northeast for acquiring bamboo technology.

Delegations from four nations ? Bhutan, Cuba, Ghana and Timor Leste ? will visit Guwahati in the next six months under the aegis of the Cane and Bamboo Technology Centre (CBTC) to acquire such skills in a bid to develop the bamboo sector back home.

?This is a good sign that the bamboo sector of the Northeast is being recognised all over the world,? CBTC director Kamesh Salam said.

It is also a recognition of the work done by the CBTC as the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (Unido) is bringing all these countries to the Northeast due to its links with the centre.

A five-member team from the Royal Bhutan Forest Deve-lopment Corporation will arrive on Sunday to chalk out modalities for getting their artisans trained in bamboo technology. They will study bamboo plantations and bamboo-processing equipment.

Altogether 31 species of bamboo grow in Bhutan, which is probably the largest variety found in any Himalayan country.

Cuba is also rich in bamboo and skills in developing bamboo products would go very well with its tourism promotion policy. Bamboo provides good raw material for making furniture and complementary building materials and new technology, incorporated into existing enterprises, would help to boost tourism. The country is especially interested in acquiring skills in weaving bamboo mats. A two-member technical team from Cuba is expected to arrive next month.

Ghana is interested in cluster development (that is bringing artisans together in common facility centres to develop products) in the bamboo sector and would like to learn from the CBTC experiences.

Timor Leste, which became the youngest independent state in 2002 after 450 years of foreign occupation, wishes to upgrade its skills in building bamboo houses. Bamboo grows widely in Timor Leste and can be used for several purposes.

Salam said employment generation is the biggest concern in all these countries and development of the bamboo sector can contribute towards employment.

The CBTC is also starting a basic course for people who want to enter the bamboo trade as craftsmen and then go to higher levels.

The North Eastern Council has chalked out Bamboo 2020, a vision plan for developing the bamboo sector.