Mangrove Conservation Project
Kenya’s coastal mangroves face severe threats from widespread logging, pollution, and unsustainable land use, leading to habitat loss, shoreline erosion, and declining fish stocks. Many local communities depend heavily on mangroves for their livelihoods, which puts pressure on these fragile ecosystems. There is an urgent need to create sustainable alternative livelihoods that reduce dependence on mangrove exploitation.
Sensitizing and building the capacity of coastal communities through training is essential to foster sustainable management practices. Additionally, active restoration of mangroves and consistent monitoring are critical to reversing degradation and ensuring long-term ecosystem resilience and benefits for the communities that rely on them
Project Objectives
This project focuses on restoring and conserving mangrove ecosystems in Kilifi and Mombasa Counties by planting 40,000 mangrove saplings and rehabilitating 40 hectares of degraded forest. It involves establishing 15 nurseries, each capable of nurturing 3,000 saplings, to support sustainable propagation. The project includes training 4,500 community members on best practices for mangrove conservation and sustainable management. Sustainable livelihoods are fostered through commercial mangrove propagation, generating income for at least 700 community members. By addressing the critical threats of deforestation, habitat loss, and environmental degradation, the project strengthens mangrove resilience and promotes improved well-being for coastal communities.
Challenges
There is resistance to change from logging communities who rely heavily on mangroves due to declining fish stocks and the lack of reliable alternative livelihoods. Insufficient funding limits the scale and continuity of restoration activities. Additionally, limited access to monitoring technologies post-planting hampers effective tracking and timely interventions necessary to ensure sapling survival and forest regeneration