Mangrove restoration in the Gazi Bay provided critical shoreline protection and restored habitats for wildlife with additional revenues from carbon credits invested in further conservation efforts and community needs. 

Nature-based Intervention:

The Mikoko Pamoja Community Organization (MPCO) is providing incentives for the restoration and more sustainable management of the local mangrove ecosystem through avoided deforestation and the replanting of degraded mangrove areas. The work of MPCO has generated income from carbon credits which have been used to pay for staff wages and various conservation activities, with any surplus further reinvested into the community’s needs. According to the UN, the total economic value of the mangrove forest through fisheries, timber, eco-tourism, research, education, aquaculture, shoreline protection, carbon sequestration, biodiversity, as well as its mere existence value is estimated at USD$ 1,092 per hectare per year.

Overview of context and outcomes:

The Gazi Bay, located on the southern coast of Kenya, has seen significant depletion and degradation of its mangrove ecosystem mainly due to a high demand for building materials and fuelwood. This overexploitation has led to the destabilization of the surrounding ecosystem evidenced by dwindling fish stocks and the destruction of habitats for coastal species. Mangroves provide an important biological barrier for the coastline and their disappearance from the Gazi Bay leaves adjacent communities vulnerable to coastal erosion.