Photos: Bamboo bikes are one of the many products made from the sturdy plant which is seeing an economic boom in Asia and Africa. Here UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Christiana Figueres of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change test bamboo bicycles, made by Evelyn Ohenewaa Gyasi from Ghana. Hide Caption 1 of 16

Photos: An online commerce site similar to Etsy, South African company Hello Pretty, said one of its most popular products is from Bamboo Watch Revolutions. It's one of the first companies to develop a watch face made from bamboo. Hide Caption 2 of 16

Photos: Ghana Bamboo Project CEO Ibrahim Djan Nyampong is showing workers how to make bamboo bicycle frames. Artisans in Ghana make bamboo bikes ranging from mountain racers to cargo bikes for customers in Europe and the U.S. Hide Caption 3 of 16

Photos: Bamboo is hugely versatile and has wide range of uses all over the world. Pictured, a young girl walks across a makeshift bridge made out of bamboo in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Hide Caption 4 of 16

Photos: Asia is by far the biggest grower of bamboo, using it for a variety of things. Here, a chocolate factory is constructed from bamboo on the island of Bali, where the plant is an emblem of sustainable construction. Bali also has a school and luxury villas made from bamboo. Hide Caption 5 of 16

Photos: A worker balances on a bamboo scaffolding above the streets in Hong Kong, where bamboo scaffolding remains a common sight many levels above the city streets. Hide Caption 6 of 16

Photos: A Chinese man in a fishing village prepares straw and bamboo mats to be used for creating thick brine which is then turned into salt. Hide Caption 7 of 16

Photos: A worker arranges sheets of handmade bamboo paper on the ground to dry at a papermaking workshop in the village of Tianwan in China. The paper is mainly used for packaging of local farm products. Hide Caption 8 of 16

Photos: Incense sticks placed for drying in Vietnam, where making and trading incense sticks is an old business linked to the Buddhist culture and tradition. Hide Caption 9 of 16

Photos: Bamboo chopsticks being made in a factory in Vietnam where thousands of chopsticks are made daily and exported to Japan. Hide Caption 10 of 16

Photos: Myanmar craftsmen dismantle bamboo scaffolding on a section of the Sule Pagoda tower after installing gold covering and decorating it with gemstones. Hide Caption 11 of 16

Photos: A woman in Laos carrying handmade bamboo baskets, a typical sight across many parts of Asia. Hide Caption 12 of 16

Photos: A Japanese musician plays a traditional Japanese musical instrument called "Sho", which is made up of 17 slender bamboo pipes with reeds gathered together in one bundle. It makes a sound similar to an organ. Hide Caption 13 of 16

Photos: Indian weavers make bamboo blinds in the old quarter of New Delhi. Hide Caption 14 of 16

Photos: A man cycles a cart loaded with chairs made from bamboo for market in Guangzhou City, China. Bamboo is popular for furniture, and it's grown in the outskirts of the city. Hide Caption 15 of 16