UNHCR opened two sites inside the Kutupalong refugee settlement, in December 2018 and January 2019, to treat bamboo. Using a technique established by local NGO BRAC, refugee workers at the sites hollow out the bamboo stalks, make cuts in the exterior in order to increase absorption, and then soak them for 12-15 days in tanks filled with a solution made from boric acid and borax – with 90 percent water for 10 percent of chemicals. The result is bamboo that can last twice as long – or more – than an average bamboo