Deforestation is a major problem, leading to a decrease in plant cover and thus soil erosion and therefore increasing desertification (1/3 of the land). Due to the rapid growth rate of bamboo it can be a solution to counterbalance deforestation and means that erosion can be minimised . Bamboo forests prevent landslides and arable land being washed away. They can also provide a support for river banks. Indeed bamboo has a beneficial role in many fields :

A flood barrier
Soil regeneration and protection
Windshields
Shelter during earthquakes
Provides a shady zone
Creates a cool microclimate
Provides a habitat for birds to sleep and nest.

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

Bamboo is a spiritual symbol f the fullness of nothingness as 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, the mother plant feeding her surrounding family depicted this.

The invention of the 8 trigrams (a 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) portrayed the bamboo culm and its knots which inturn reflects the essential rhythms of life in Tao philosophy.