As the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem approaches on 26 July, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN-Habitat, through the Go Blue project, are showcasing a transformative initiative to counter climate change in Lamu County, Kenya.
The effort, known as the Lamu Blue Carbon Project, is aiming to enlist local residents in a push to conserve and restore 4,000 hectares of mangrove forests along Kenya’s coast. These salt-water-loving trees sequester planet-warming molecules of carbon, helping to combat climate change. The carbon dioxide absorbed from the atmosphere by these mangroves will be measured and converted into carbon credits and sold on global markets, with proceeds going to community members.
The Lamu initiative, launched in 2023, is an upscaling of the successful Mikoko Pamoja and Vanga Blue Forest projects, which also took place in Kenya.
The Mikoko Pamoja project, covering 117 hectares in Kwale County, was the world’s first blue carbon initiative and is proof that community-led conservation can effectively manage marine ecosystems to sequester carbon while benefiting local communities, say observers. The project was recognized with the UN in Kenya Person of the Year Award for 2023, the first time a project has received the honour.
The Vanga Blue Forest project protected 460 hectares of mangroves, further underscoring the potential of these ecosystems in mitigating climate change.
“Projects such as Mikoko Pamoja show that community-based approaches to conservation and restoration can be effective in protecting unique ecosystems and ensuring that communities directly benefit,” said Leticia Carvalho, Head of UNEP’s Marine and Freshwater Branch.
The Go Blue project in Lamu County is a large-scale effort that is expected to generate carbon benefits of over 50,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents per year.
Plan Vivo, a global certification scheme, will verify and accredit the Lamu project to facilitate the sale of carbon credits in global markets. This will help generate more than US$600,000 annually for local residents.
The initiative not only contributes to global climate goals but also empowers communities through sustainable development.
Lamu County, which hosts 65 per cent of Kenya's mangroves, is considered a critical area for conservation efforts. While the Lamu blue carbon initiative is rooted in Kenya, observers believe its lessons can be applied globally.
“[Mangroves] are essential not only for the health of our ocean, coasts and the biodiversity that they support, but for the wellbeing of humans,” said Carvalho.
By protecting and restoring mangroves, the project also helps conserve biodiversity. More than 1,500 species, including fish, amphibians and mammals, depend on mangroves, and mangrove forests provide up to US$57,000 per hectare annually in ecosystem services, highlighting their value to coastal communities. Balancing conservation needs with those of local communities is an aim of the Biodiversity Plan, a global framework to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030, formerly known as the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework.
Funded by the European Union and implemented in collaboration with the Government of Kenya, the Go Blue project exemplifies how international partnerships can drive national initiatives with global significance, say observers.
The planet is experiencing a dangerous decline in nature: 1 million species are at risk of extinction, soils are turning infertile, and water sources are drying up. The Biodiversity Plan, formerly known as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, aims to reverse this trend by 2030. UNEP is supporting countries to achieve The Biodiversity Plan’s goals and targets through restoring nature’s contributions to people, integrating biodiversity into policies, promoting sustainable use and preventing financial practices that harm the environment.
