Potential barriers to bamboo-based carbon credit initiatives in Nepal: What stands in the way?

Bamboo, often referred to as “green gold”, has emerged as a promising nature-based solution for climate change mitigation due to its rapid growth rate and carbon sequestration capacity. With over 53 species across 12 genera distributed from the Terai lowlands to the Himalayan foothills, Nepal holds substantial potential to engage in bamboo-based carbon credit mechanisms. To support this potential, I conducted a narrative review focused on Nepal-specific literature, complemented by global sources to contextualize broader methodological and policy gaps that constrain bamboo’s integration into carbon markets. Globally, bamboo remains underrepresented in carbon certification frameworks due to the absence of recognized methodologies, standardized measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) protocols, and its classification as a non-timber forest product. These global limitations pose additional barriers for countries like Nepal, where bamboo is largely cultivated outside traditional forest areas. In addition, key challenges for Nepal include: (1) inadequate bamboo species documentation and distribution mapping, (2) lack of structured silvicultural management practices, (3) absence of species-specific allometric models for biomass estimation, and (4) policy and institutional gaps that exclude bamboo ecosystems—particularly those outside forests—from REDD+ and national carbon frameworks. Financial and market-related constraints, such as high project registration costs, volatile carbon pricing, and limited access to certification mechanisms, further hinder participation. While existing studies highlight bamboo’s carbon sink potential, more accurate species-level data, spatial inventories, and carbon accounting tools are required to support reliable stock estimation. Based on my findings, I recommend that Nepal should revise its national forest definition to include bamboo, develop bamboo-specific MRV protocols, clarify carbon rights, and introduce targeted financial incentives to facilitate bamboo’s inclusion in both compliance and voluntary carbon markets.