Meet the Mangrove Carbon Credit Warriors of Gazi Bay

Mangroves which are known as carbon warriors because of their excellent ability to keep carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, store 5 times more carbon in their soils by surface area, compared to tropical forests and 10 times more, than temperate forests. Yet, the salt-tolerant forests remain one of the world’s most unappreciated ecosystems.

The science of carbon sequestration may fly over the heads of many, but for a community in two villages in Gazi and Makongeni in Kwale County, in Kenya’s South Coast, ‘kaa hewa’ as carbon credit is usually referred to in their local Swahili dialect is slowly and steadily transforming their livelihoods.

Since its inception in 2014, Mikoko Pamoja Community Based Organisation has been able to ensure conservation of 117 hectares of mangroves in Gazi Bay. In addition, the group through the technical support from Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) and WWF-Kenya has established new mangrove forests covering 10 hectares.

In return the community has received a total of Ksh. 2.6 million shillings over the past two years. Proceeds whose impact has breathed life into the two villages and put it back on a growth trajectory rekindling hope for a better tomorrow.

By Alex Kubasu