In Tarlac, bamboo does triple duty: restoring land, cooling farms and paying the planters

On a hillside in San Clemente, Tarlac, environment officials and local residents planted 50 giant bamboo seedlings — a small number with an outsized job description. Bamboo grows fast, holds eroding soil, shades and cools the ground, and can be harvested for livelihoods without cutting it down. The Philippines' environment department is weaving bamboo through its greening work in the province, from upland restoration to green corridors in towns, betting on a plant that gives back within a few seasons.

SDG 15 · Life on land — Mechanism: institutional program