The Kenya Forest Service and two local community associations have signed agreements to co-manage about 64,247.3 acres of mangrove forest in Lamu county over the next five years.
With support from The Nature Conservancy and other partners, the forest management agreement signed with the Pate-Ndau-Awer secures the legal mandate of co-managing 39,536.8 acres of mangrove forest area.
A separate agreement with Lamu Community Forest Association secures an additional 24,710.5 acres. It will be guided by Participatory Forest Management Plans.
Mangroves are alt-tolerant trees and shrubs in the intertidal regions of the tropical and subtropical coastlines, thriving where fresh water mixes with seawater.
They grow in five counties — Lamu, Tana River, Kilifi, Mombasa and Kwale.
Mangroves are in tidal estuaries, creeks and protected bays.
Lamu has the most mangrove forests at 92,293 acres, followed by Kilifi at 21,092 acres, Kwale at 20,643 acres Mombasa at 9,318 acres and Tana River at 8, acres.
The initiative also aims to enhance the protection, restoration, and management of mangroves by communities living adjacent to the forest while ensuring benefits to residents of Lamu county.
Most of the communities depend on the marine environment for their livelihoods.
Coastal communities derive 80 per cent of their livelihoods from mangroves.
This is through eco-tourism, fishing and building materials.
Mangroves are in the nexus between the green and blue economies as they occupy the fringes of the ocean. They underpin fisheries and protect shorelines.
Mangrove ecosystems also sequester as much as three to five times more than terrestrial forests.
It follows the 2019 lifting of a ban on mangrove logging in Kenya's five coastal counties, which had been implemented in 2018 after local communities protested due to high dependence on mangrove harvesting.
The ban was subsequently lifted in Lamu county, following a petition by the community and the county government.
KFS chief conservator Julius Kamau said he is excited to see the level of partnership demonstrated in this initiative.
“It will enhance restoration and conservation of mangrove forests while improving livelihoods for Lamu communities. It will also help meet the new national target of 30 per cent tree cover by 2050 that was set by the government last year,” Kamau said.
More than 60 per cent of mangroves in Kenya occur in Lamu and the surrounding islands.
These forests provide multiple goods and services to people in Lamu, both wood and non-wood resources, as highlighted in the National Mangrove Ecosystem Management Plan 2017-2027.
KFS holds the overall mandate of ensuring sustainable management and conservation of Kenyan forests and forest resources for the socioeconomic development of the country.
This includes the promotion of community participation in the conservation and management of state forests.
KFS led the development of the forest plans and agreements that were co-funded by TNC and other partners.
Technical support was provided by the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Kenya Forestry Research Institute, County Government of Lamu and Kenya Wildlife Service, Pate Marine Community Conservancy and Awer Community Conservancy.
Natural Resources executive said they are committed to supporting our communities in implementing the forest plans and agreements, including investing in nature-based solutions or projects for community development and conservation benefits.
Through the Forest Management Act 2016, communities were supported to form and register associations that prepare forest management plans followed by intense negotiation of forest management agreements with KFS.
Participatory Forest Management Plans are critical tools for helping conserve biodiversity and enhance people’s livelihoods while ensuring the sustainable use of forests.
TNC’s Africa Fisheries Strategy manager George Maina said the institution is committed to working with partners to ensure a resilient Coast, reduced emissions, thriving communities and marine management grounded in science.
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organisation dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends.
Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute's chief scientist and coordinator of the mangrove research programme, Dr James Kairo, said the organisation is committed to providing technical support and resources to ensure the science-based implementation of Mangrove PFMPs and Forest Management Agreements.
Effective mangrove management requires elaborate engagement with the local communities.
This is further emphasised in Kenya’s national mangrove management plan (2017-2027), and more broadly in various national and international legal frameworks and agreements including the Kenya Constitution of 2010.