In the small village of Gazi Bay on Kenya's coast, a conservation project operating quietly for 10 years gains traction as a model for restoring and tending carbon-sucking mangrove trees.
The village of Gazi Bay on Kenya's coast, just 55 kilometres south of bustling Mombasa and tucked away from the country's well-trodden tourism circuit, has gained traction in recent years as a model for restoring and tending carbon-sucking mangrove trees.
These marine ecosystems capture more carbon dioxide than typical terrestrial forests, making them attractive funding prospects for faraway governments and businesses looking to offset their greenhouse gas emissions.While carbon offsets receive a mixed response from environmentalists, the source of consistent funding has improved the lives of those involved in the project and in surrounding coastal villages.About 4,000 new mangroves are planted each year.
"We have been able to buy furniture for a dispensary and we have also been able to buy some books for schools," Kassim Juma, an assistant project coordinator for Mikoko Pamoja, said.Fishers casting nets in nearby shallow waters have seen an abundance of species return to the mangrove-laden shores, now a breeding ground for fish flourishing in the expanded habitat.And project leaders hail the benefits of cleaner air for people who live in or near the forests.
Several mangrove forests across Africa have been destroyed due to coastal development, logging or fish farming, making coastal communities more vulnerable to flooding and rising sea levels.For those living under Mikoko Pamoja's mangrove umbrella, many of those concerns have, at least partially, subsided.