The objective of this project is to reforest degraded mangroves sites in Kwale, Kilifi, and Tana River counties, in Kenya. The project will create a healthy mangrove ecosystem in degraded lands, starting by planting 220 ha in Shirazi, Bodo, Munje, and Funzi Island, in Kwale county.
The main components of the project are to provide a variety of ecosystem services, climate change mitigation, economic considerations, and active participation of the local community. Without the project, carbon stocks in the project area will continue to decline, as the mangrove ecosystems in Kenya suffer a strong degradation process resulting from anthropogenic (e.g., deforestation for wood consumption) and natural causes (e.g., sea tides).
Under this grouped project, degraded mangroves on the Kenyan coast are restored and replanted. In the first project activity up to 196.000 mangroves will be planted. The species selected for this reforestation project are indigenous and local, namely Rhizophora mucronata, Ceriops tagal and Avicennia marina.
The project will monitor soil conditions to measure changes in soil carbon content and maintain soil nutrient levels to improve water quality compared to the baseline scenario. Mangrove restoration will further increase fish populations, improve biodiversity, and provide other important ecosystem services. To measure the positive impact on biodiversity, annual biomonitoring will be conducted using eDNA.
The empowerment of the population is also central to the project. The labour requirement for the project will be fulfilled with local employment. Therefore, most of the budget for labour and an additional 50/50 share of carbon credit revenues will remain in the country. The project will promote a working family model where more than 50% of women can actively participate in the project. People are shown alternative livelihood opportunities that allow them to acquire and grow high-value crops, and invest in beekeeping or ecotourism.