BlueInvest Africa 2024
Kenya: The Rediscovery of Mangroves
On the Kenyan coast, the mangroves are undergoing a resurgence, reclaiming their natural habitat. This vast endeavour encompasses environmental restoration, while also delivering economic and social benefits. Mangroves offer invaluable services to local communities, visitors, and the wider planet, making their preservation a multifaceted priority.
The story commenced in Gazi back in 2010. Situated on the Kenyan coast, approximately 50 km south of Mombasa, this small village had witnessed the gradual degradation of its mangroves over the years. The primary culprit: the relentless harvesting of firewood, the predominant energy source in the region, mirroring challenges faced in rural areas across Africa.
A precious ecosystem
Since the 1960s, tropical mangroves worldwide have garnered scientific acclaim as unique ecosystems, valued for their diverse biodiversity and vital coastal protection services, notably shielding against erosion and floods. Yet, this precious habitat has faced mounting threats, succumbing to demographic pressures, overexploitation, pollution, and coastal development in the latter half of the 20th century.
Despite scientific warnings and local pleas, it wasn't until the century's end that mangroves gained the global spotlight they warranted. The Convention on Biological Diversity underscored the imperative of mangrove preservation, igniting conservation efforts globally. Simultaneously, their pivotal role in carbon sequestration was unearthed, propelling mangroves to the forefront of the climate change battle.
A REDD approach
"In the 1990s, we began exploring ways to adapt forest degradation combat programmes to mangroves," explains James G. Kairo, head of the Mangrove Silviculture and Management department at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute. "With the advent of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, the 'Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation' (REDD) concept emerged, allowing developing nations to engage in climate change mitigation by valuing avoided deforestation. Thus, our question was: can we apply a REDD approach to restore and protect mangroves through the sale of carbon credits."
Gazi then emerged as the locus for the Carbon Blue initiative, inaugurated in 2010 with backing from the United Nations Development Programme and various Kenyan institutions. This endeavour birthed a bona fide economic model for elevating mangrove worth, christened "Mikoko Pamoja" (Swahili for Together for Mangroves).
Carbon credits
At the core of this framework lie carbon credits, with restored mangroves valued as carbon sinks, earning credits for the carbon dioxide they sequester. This aspect is closely tied to community development; local communities receive a portion of the revenue from carbon credits, which is used to improve water access, sanitation, school facilities, and more, thereby enhancing their quality of life. Consequently, the system fosters community engagement with the ecological benefits of the mangrove, granting them more benefits than if the mangroves were merely used for firewood.
Moreover, the rejuvenated mangrove ecosystem catalyses economic endeavours that directly benefit locals, such as crab fishing, beekeeping, and ecotourism. Notably, a women's group from the village established the Gazi Women Mangrove Boardwalk, a 300-metre walkway allowing dry-land exploration of the mangroves, catering to tourists. These women manage and maintain the boardwalk, selling tickets for access to supplement their incomes.
Upscales
"Gazi enabled us to set up the system," explains James G. Kairo. "We needed to establish a scientific baseline for carbon, for reforestation, for social aspects... On this basis, we developed a methodology and were able to restore degraded areas. The project taught us that mangroves can be planted and managed, like any other transitional ecosystem, as long as you understand the ecology of the place where you are planting. We started selling carbon in 2014 at the rate of 3,000 tonnes a year, for a mangrove of 117 ha."
"We were then able to transpose the Mikoko Pamoja system to other mangroves." continues James G. Kairo. "First as part of the Blue Forest project, in Vanga, where we restored 460 ha, then in Lamu, as part of the Go Blue project, which currently covers a mangrove of more than 2,000 ha. In short, we can say that Vanga and Lamu are upscales of Gazi, to be short.”
The European Union Go Blue project
In Lamu, situated 300 km north of Mombasa, a sprawling restoration initiative spans an area encompassing a staggering 66% of Kenya's mangroves. This mammoth endeavour is funded by the European Union with a contribution from the United Nations, forming a pivotal component of the overarching Go Blue project, which steadfastly champions various facets of the blue economy along Kenya's coastal stretch. While the primary objective in Lamu is unequivocally mangrove restoration, leveraging them as carbon sinks, equal emphasis is placed on fostering the sustainability of local economic pursuits, ensuring their symbiotic coexistence with the revitalised ecosystem.
Go Blue's inclusive agenda extends to enhancing the capabilities of small-scale fishermen, fish farmers, and tourism professionals. Concurrently, it equips local communities with maritime safety training and technological know-how, empowering them to vigilantly oversee maritime activities, notably curbing illicit fishing endeavours. Collaborative efforts with local authorities are deemed indispensable, serving as the linchpin for the project's seamless execution and ensuring its enduring impact.
Community management
The cornerstone of these three mangrove rehabilitation and enhancement initiatives lies in the active engagement of local communities, organised into Community Forest Associations for land-based endeavours and Beach Management Units for marine activities. This approach aligns seamlessly with the Kenyan government's vision, as articulated in the Forest Management and Conservation Act of 2016, which delineates a blueprint for collaborative stewardship of State forests with local stakeholders.
"Through a forest management agreement, accompanied by an action plan, local communities forge a partnership with the government," explains James G. Kairo. "This action plan serves as the foundation for developing the carbon project in tandem with the local populace, who assume the mantle of project management through their associations. And this system is very interesting, because government will never be everywhere. We are able to have people manage their resources for the benefit of the environment, the people and the biodiversity."
Central to this arrangement is the multifaceted utility of mangroves, spanning traditional functions such as wood harvesting and fishing, alongside emerging roles in tourism, education, and carbon sequestration. These roles are codified within the management agreement, empowering local communities as both vanguards and custodians. For instance, a fisheries management framework is established under this plan, delineating and safeguarding breeding grounds against fishing activities, with local oversight being paramount.
A particular case
Mangrove projects present a unique challenge as they straddle both land and sea, often sparking administrative disputes among the diverse governing bodies. Drawing from the experiences in Gazi, Vanga, and Lamu, the establishment of a National Mangrove Management Committee has emerged. This coalition convenes specialists from relevant institutions alongside local stakeholder committees to foster harmonised management tailored to the nuanced attributes of mangrove ecosystems.
This initiative serves as a conduit for nurturing the vitality of this distinctive ecosystem, enabling it to furnish a comprehensive array of services to both the environment and local communities.