KFS seeks to save endangered mangroves
Mangrove seedlings planted in Nzombere by KFS partners, supporting organisations and the community.
The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) on Tuesday celebrated the International Day of Conservation of Mangrove Ecosystems with several partners and supporting organisations that are part of their adopt-a-forest initiative in Nzombere, Kilifi county.
This is the fourth year this day is being commemorated, having been proclaimed in 2015 by the United Nations cultural agency Unesco.
Speaking at the event, KFS Chief Conservator of Forests Julius Kamau said the mangrove ecosystem is a lifeline for the coastal region but is threatened by encroachment, pollution and changes in the salinity of the Indian Ocean.
"When the community knows that they can benefit from mangroves, they can then move to non-destructive activities to more nature-compatible approaches such as beekeeping and fish ponds," Mr Kamau said.
Some 50 beehives were donated to the communities by the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) as part of the blue economy initiative.
"In the last three years, we have planted about 50 million mangrove seedlings in the five counties, with an 80 percent survival rate," he said.
The KFS also launched the National Mangrove Management Committee to enhance ecosystem integrity.
KWS Director General Brigadier (rtd.) John Migui Waweru shakes hands with KFS Chief Conservator of Forests Julius Kamau after a tree planting exercise at Nzombere to commemorate the International Day of Conservation of Mangrove Ecosystems on July 26, 2022.
"In the last 50 years, 50 percent of the global mangrove cover has been lost.
That means breeding of fish goes down by the same number," said retired Brigadier John Migui Waweru, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) director-general.
Conservation efforts
He urged the community to help in conservation efforts since they rely on fishing for food and livelihoods.
He also said they hope to explore new ways of creating economic opportunities such as carbon trading for the communities that play a big role in conserving mangrove ecosystems.
Mangroves are the only trees that grow in salt water. The trees create a rare, spectacular and prolific ecosystem that is usually found along sheltered coastlines in tropical and subtropical regions.
They cover over 61,000ha in Kenya, making up about 3.5 percent of gazetted forest reserves and occurring in Lamu, Tana River, Kilifi, Mombasa and Kwale counties.
Mangroves are at a high risk of being destroyed altogether. Exploitation and pollution are important drivers of mangrove loss.
They are known as ‘blue carbon’ ecosystems because of the vast quantities of carbon that they absorb and store, not only in their roots, shoots and leaves but in the sediment beneath them.
They absorb four times more carbon than terrestrial forests, due to their waterlogged sediments. Air allows microorganisms to move in and feed on the carbon-rich soils, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
The water in mangrove sediments keeps the air and animals out. Yet mangrove forests represent less than one percent of all tropical forests and less than 0.4 percent of forest covers worldwide.
Mangroves provide many more ecosystem services that benefit people who live in that environment. They act as a buffer against waves, storms and tsunamis.
They create a natural coastal wall that globally would cost millions to replace.
Their intricate roots and shoots give protection and food to young fish and shellfish, many of which are depended on by local communities for food. They filter water, provide food for animals including turtles and dugongs, and provide a fascinating, beautiful and natural playground for ecotourism.
