- Restoring and protecting mangroves align with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14, which aims to govern oceans and coasts sustainably and recognizes their immense value to local communities.
- This day aims to raise awareness about the importance of self-sustaining mangrove ecosystems. This year's theme is "Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet."
The natural ecosystems provide goods and services that directly and indirectly contribute to human well-being.
Understanding the economic value of these ecosystem services is crucial for making integrated environmental decisions, sustainable business practices, and land-use planning at different geographic scales and socio-political levels.
Mangroves, as coastal species, play a vital role in the functioning of the natural environment and for humans. They act as barriers against soil erosion and storms, filter nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, store carbon, and biodiversity protection, among others.
In response to global concerns about the loss and degradation of mangrove ecosystems, the General Conference of UNESCO adopted the proclamation of the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem on July 26, 2015.
This day aims to raise awareness about the importance of self-sustaining mangrove ecosystems. This year's theme is "Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet."
The main ceremony will take place at Mwenjeni Village, Kwale County, and will involve rehabilitating degraded mangrove areas through hydrological restoration and planting new mangroves.
The Cabinet Secretary of Climate Change, Environment, and Forestry in Kenya will deliver a speech during the event. The celebrations first took place in 2019 in Kwale and have since extended to Lamu and Mombasa Counties, with over 48 million seedlings planted since the first observance of the day.
Mangrove forest and sustainable development agenda
Restoring and protecting mangroves align with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14, which aims to govern oceans and coasts sustainably and recognizes their immense value to local communities.
This effort also supports other SDGs, including eliminating poverty and hunger (SDG 1 and SDG 2) by ensuring equal rights to economic resources and access to basic services for all, especially the vulnerable.
Taking action against climate change impacts (SDG 13) involves strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity, integrating climate change measures into policies and planning, and raising awareness on mitigation and adaptation.
Halting biodiversity loss (SDG 15) involves individual contributions to conserving and restoring ecosystems, ending deforestation, and protecting biodiversity.
The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is a global call to protect and revive ecosystems, benefiting people and nature by halting degradation and achieving global goals.
Healthy ecosystems enhance livelihoods, combat climate change, and prevent biodiversity collapse.
The UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2030 with a set of 6 Global Forest Goals and 26 associated targets under the United Nations Forest Forum calls for a world where forests are “sustainably managed, contribute to sustainable development and provide economic, social, environmental and cultural benefits for present and future generations.”
When managed sustainably, forests serve around 1.6 billion people, 25% of the global population, supporting subsistence, livelihood, employment, and income generation. The plan aims to increase global forest area by 3% by 2030, adding 120 million hectares.
Mangrove ecosystem in Kenya
The mangrove ecosystem in Kenya is widespread along its 600 km coastline, extending from Vanga at the Kenya-Tanzania border in the south to Ishakani at the Kenya-Somalia border in the north.
These mangroves are found in deltas, protected bays, creeks, river estuaries, and lagoons across five counties: Kwale, Mombasa, Kilifi, Tana River, and Lamu.
The coastal area boasts various features, including fringing reef systems, sandy beaches, protected bays, estuaries, and tidal creeks, which support the natural growth of mangrove forests.
The forest structure is a function of the tidal regimes, which is controlled by the topography of the intertidal area and is classified into different forest types—fringing, riverine, over-wash, basin and dwarf forests
Kenya is home to all nine mangrove species described in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region:— Rhizophora mucronata (Mkoko), Bruguiera gymnorhiza (Muia), Ceriops tagal (Mkandaa), Sonneratia alba (Mlilana), Avicennia marina (Mchu), Lumnitzera racemosa (Kikandaa), Xylocarpus granatum (Mkomafi), Xylocarpus moluccensis (Mkomafi dume) and Heritiera littoralis (Msindukazi).
These mangrove forests can be found in various locations, such as reef platforms behind coral limestone outcrops in Lamu, estuaries of Tana and Sabaki rivers, marine-influenced barrier dunes in Ngomeni, drowned river valleys in Mombasa, Mtwapa, Kilifi, and Mongoni-Dodori, and sheltered bays in Vanga and Gazi.
To manage this ecosystem effectively, it's crucial to understand the relationships between environmental settings and ecological functions, considering the impact of factors from the land, sea, and air. The total area of mangroves in Kenya is approximately 61,271 ha, with more than 60% located in Lamu County.
In order to enhance coordination and efficiency, the government prepared The National Mangrove Ecosystem Management Plan (2017–2027) that identifies management programmes implemented through various stakeholders ranging from government agencies, the civil society and the community.
The plan was prepared through the collaboration of many partners including; Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI), State Department of Fisheries (currently Kenya Fisheries Service) and NGOs with support from the World Bank through the Kenya Coastal Development Project.
The plan enumerates the mangrove resources available in each of the five (5) coastal Counties, past and current use, challenges and opportunities for effective management.
Mangrove governance framework in Kenya
Kenya Forest Service has the legal mandate to manage all forest reserves in Kenya, including mangroves; and are co-managed with the Kenya Wildlife Service when they occur within Marine Protected Areas.
The management process involves community participation through the development of participatory forest management plans (PFMPs) and Forest Management Agreements (FMAs), granting user rights to communities for designated forest areas.
Currently, there are seven PFMPs involving mangroves in Kenya, including Gazi, Vanga, Pongwe Kidimu in Kwale, Mtakimau under Sokoke forest station, and Mida creek in Gede Forest station in Kilifi, and Lamu and PANDAWER PFMPs in Lamu County.
Mangrove conservation encourages non-consumptive uses, such as ecotourism, integrated aquaculture, and beekeeping, while wood harvesting is permitted only in Lamu County.
The national mangrove management plan (2017-2027) is overseen by the Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) of KFS. A national Mangrove Management Committee (NMC) comprising technical experts from various disciplines, including Forestry, Fisheries, Wildlife, Water towers, KMFRI and NEMA provides advisory support.
The NMC gets its report from the County Management Committee. While Kwale and Kilifi already have committees in place, the other three counties are planned to be established before the end of 2023.
Additionally, a centralized mangrove database is proposed to be established to facilitate sharing of management best practices.
Launch of adopt a forest initiative, Mangrove forests
The Kenya Forest Service has implemented the "Adopt a Forest" strategy with the primary objective of conserving and restoring the essential mangrove forest ecosystem.
This approach fosters cooperation between the Kenya Forest Service and partners in conservation and restoration efforts. The process involves signing contracts with partners to protect and restore degraded forest areas.
Several organizations, such as Eden reforestation, COBEC, WWF, TNC, NRT, Earthlungs Foundations, Griot, Vlinder Umita, and others, have adopted sites and are actively involved in restoring the mangrove ecosystem.
Their collaboration with Community Forest Associations living nearby leads to dual benefits: forest conservation and restoration alongside community livelihood improvement.
NATURE-BASED LIVELIHOOD IMPROVEMENT FOR COMMUNITIES ADJACENT TO MANGROVE FORESTS
1. Beekeeping for Unique Honey:
Save Lamu runs a project in Lamu Archipelago that protects the vital mangrove forests while enhancing the livelihoods of communities dependent on mangroves.
One aspect is beekeeping, which provides an alternative source of income. The honey produced from these mangroves has a distinct taste and is highly valued.
Other nature-based livelihoods in these communities include aquaculture, carbon sequestration and trade, fisheries, ecotourism, and seaweed farming.
Amani Jipange Peace, a 20-member group in Mikindani, Mombasa, engages in beekeeping to sustain their livelihoods and protect the mangroves from logging.
They have successfully established 40 hives and harvest three to five hives every three months, with each hive producing up to 10kgs of honey.
The mangrove honey, known as "Asali Mikoko," is sold for between Ksh.800 and Ksh.1000 and is in high demand due to its unique taste and medicinal value.
Several community groups, including the Kipepeo Project in Malindi, Kilifi County, have set up apiaries near mangrove forests, generating income for the local community and supplementing butterfly trade proceeds. The honey from these mangroves is distinct and sought-after, with a lower glycaemic index and high medicinal value.
2. Aquaculture
KEMFSED has started county launches of the grants for community projects, with the first ceremonies taking place in Kwale and Lamu counties.
The grants were launched by the respective county Governors, H.E. Fatuma Achani in Kwale and Issa Abdallah in Lamu. In Kwale 98.8 million has been awarded to the first batch of 43 groups, while 28 groups will receive funding in Lamu.
Besides receiving grants of between Sh3 and 5 million, the groups have been trained in leadership and financial management. This has built their internal capacity to manage projects, better positioning them to attract more investments for their business and conservation project
3. Mainstreaming Blue Carbon into Coastal Development Programs
To achieve Ocean Climate Commitments for Kenya (GOING BLUE). Kenya aspires to be a middle-level economy by 2030 and has outlined development blueprints that consider fundamental social services, environmental sustainability, and low carbon development pathway.
This has been achieved through several initiativesundertaken. On this note, KMFRI, UNEP, Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani (JKP) the Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Kenya Forest Service (KFS), in collaboration with other key stakeholders are implementing a project on: “Mainstreaming blue carbon into coastal development programs to achieve climate commitments for Kenya”.
The project is aimed at integrating blue carbon, particularly mangroves and seagrass conservation into community livelihood and coastal development in Kenya.
The project's main objectives are:
- Review and update information and knowledge on blue carbon in Kenya.
- Undertake an analysis of the socioeconomic roles of BC in Kenya to facilitate development of a blue carbon project in Lamu-Tana seascape.
- Support sustainable utilization of mangroves through development of mangrove harvest plans for Lamu-Tana seascape.
- Valuation of blue carbon co-benefits.
- Enhance blue carbon governance and management in Keny
4. BMZ-BENGO Project: Sustainable Mangrove Use in the Western Indian Ocean.
The main objective of this project is to provide structural support for Mtakimau CFA. Specific objectives include:
- Assessing the status of the CFA and its compliance with government requirements.
- Revamping the governance structure of Mtakimau CFA by identifying user groups and forming "viongozi mashinani."
- Raising awareness in the community (CFA) about the importance of the mangrove ecosystem and the Bengo project.
5. Ecotourism
Ecotourism facilities have been established within the mangrove forest areas especially by local communities. Examples include Mida Creek Boardwalk in Kilifi County, Dabaso Creek Conservation Group’s Crab-shack and Boardwalk in Kilifi County and Gazi Women Boardwalk in Kwale County.
These facilities give visitors easy access to the mangrove habitat that would be otherwise difficult to see at close range. They also provide education on mangroves’ ecology and conservation using interpretation and community guides. Income from these facilities contributes significantly to improvement of livelihoods.
6. Seaweed Farming
Seaweed farming is taking place in the South Coast, specifically in the village of Kibuyuni, with training and support from KMFRI.
However, it faces challenges from infrastructure development, like the test drilling for an industrial port at Shimoni, resulting in the loss of an entire crop for the people of Mkwiro village.
Despite challenges, seaweed farming shows promise as a potential income-generating activity, supplementing fishing and reducing pressure on mangroves caused by illegal harvesting and clearance for rice farming.