How do we conserve mangroves?

Mangroves are conserved through community education, reforestation, legal protection, and promoting sustainable alternatives to timber harvesting. Restoration involves planting native species and reducing local dependence on mangrove resources.

Why is mangrove conservation important?

Mangroves protect coastal areas from erosion, floods, and storms. They also absorb carbon, support biodiversity, and provide livelihoods. Conserving them strengthens climate resilience and protects vulnerable communities.

What is the Mangrove Conservation Initiative?

The Mangrove Conservation Initiative on Funzi Island focuses on replanting degraded mangrove areas, reducing deforestation, and engaging local communities in sustainable practices to protect this vital ecosystem.

What are the challenges with mangrove conservation?

Challenges include illegal logging, lack of awareness, overdependence on mangroves for fuel and medicine, limited funding, and climate change impacts like rising sea levels and extreme weather events.

What are the 4 main threats to the mangrove ecosystem?

The main threats to mangroves are: deforestation for timber and fuel, coastal development and pollution, aquaculture and agriculture expansion, and climate change and sea-level rise.

What is the success rate of mangrove restoration?

Success rates vary, but when local communities are involved and native species are used, mangrove restoration can achieve survival rates of 60–80% or more within a few years.

How expensive is mangrove restoration?

Costs vary by region and method, but community-based mangrove restoration is often cost-effective, averaging between $500 to $2,000 per hectare, depending on the project's scale and location.

Why are mangroves declining?

Mangroves are declining due to human activities like logging, land conversion, and pollution, as well as climate change effects such as increased storms and rising sea levels.

What is the lifespan of a mangrove tree?

Mangrove trees can live between 40 to over 100 years, depending on the species and environmental conditions. Healthy ecosystems support long-term growth and natural regeneration.

Mangroves deforestation

Funzi Island has witnessed the gradual disappearance of its once-thriving mangrove forest.

This degradation significantly reduces the resilience of local communities. As climate change progresses, extreme events like floods are becoming more frequent. Mangroves play a crucial role in reinforcing beaches and providing protection for coastal communities against storms and floods.

Unfortunately, mangroves attract people who cut them down for timber, fuel, and medicine. Therefore, reducing the community's reliance on mangroves is essential for successful conservation efforts.

Mangrove forest with dense green foliage and exposed muddy ground, showing tree roots.

A dry, sandy landscape with sparse grass and scattered green shrubs under a clear sky.

In response, the Munje Tunusuru Women’s Group was formed in 2021 with a challenge to replant 70+ hectares*

Since 2021, the women have planted in 10 hectares. Unfortunately, due to the drought, they have not planted much in 2022. Once the rain came in March 2023, they covered only 3 hectares.

Due to Kenya banning plastic bags of any kind, they had to get special permission from the Kenya Forest Service to use the black planting bags for the seedlings and to build shades for the nurseries.

*Kenya forest services mapped the land to be replanted to be 70+ hectares.

Young mangrove seedlings planted in muddy soil, featuring bright green leaves and slender stems.

Group of women in colorful attire standing in a mangrove forest, examining young mangrove plants in a nursery.

Illustration of two red flowers, one yellow flower, and a green leaf in a row.

How does the reforestation process work?

Number one with lines indicating emphasis inside a circle.

Gather the seeds

The women gather seeds fallen form the trees and seedlings that are too young to survive. The challenge is to rescue the seeds and seedlings before wild and domesticated animals get to them.

Nurse the seedlings

There are 5 nurseries where the women cultivate the seedlings until they can be replanted back into the waters with the best case for survival.

Number 3 inside a white circle with a shadow effect.

Planting

Day 1

The women and selected youth from the community gather the seedlings from the nursery, pack them into carts and buckets to transport them to the planting area.

Day 2

The women and helpers go into the mud and plant the seedlings they had transported the previous day.

Infographic showing 3 days with 55 people are needed to plant 3,000 seedlings, which covers 1 hectare.

It takes 1-3 days, with more or less 55 people, to plant around 3.000 seedlings to cover 1 hectare of land.

Key challenges

Group of people, mostly women in colorful attire, standing outside a rustic building with thatched roof, engaged in conversation.

Lack of funding and resources to scale up replanting and cover the remaining 60 hectares of land. Only 10 hectares have been planted so far.

70 hectares to replant

Alternative income sources are needed to reduce the community's financial reliance on mangroves

Economic resilience on mangroves

Community attitudes to mangrove conservation

Attitude change is needed within the community through education, to ensure support for the conservation activities.