Deforestation is one of the major current problems, leading to a decrease in the plant cover and thus soil erosion and increasing desertification (1/3 of the land). The rapid growth rate of bamboo means that erosion can be countered. Bamboo forests prevent landslides and leaching of arable land. They also protect river banks. Bamboo has a beneficial role in many fields :

Drag on flooding
Soil regeneration and protection
Windshields
Shelter during earthquakes
Creates shady zones
Constitutes a cool microclimate
Place for birds to sleep and nest.

Papermaking pulp (80% production in India)
Architecture : frames; partitions, scaffolding
Piping
Furniture
Decoration
Horticulture
Food
Leisure time (Fishing rods and so on)
Scientific research : Indian researchers have recently managed to create bamboo flowering in vitro

Bamboo is the natural symbol of the fullness of nothingness, for it grows around emptiness, which for Zen masters is the subtle centre of spiritual development.
More generally it was a symbol of fertility, altruism, and a happy family, in the image of the mother plant feeding her surrounding family.

The invention of the 8 trigrams ( sequence of 3 letters) in the Yi King (Asia’s sacred book) has been attributed to the legendary emperor Fou-Hsi, who lived in 2900 BC. Full strokes (Yang) and separate strokes (Yin) suggest the bamboo culm and its knots. This cadence reflects life’s essential rhythms in Tao philosophy.