More than trees: Why Kenya needs to restore its mangroves

Conservationists say the work goes beyond planting trees, with healthy mangrove ecosystems helping protect shorelines from erosion, provide nursery grounds for marine life, store carbon and support coastal livelihoods.[Amos Kiarie]

Kenya’s mangrove conservation is entering a critical phase in which success may no longer be judged by how many seedlings are put into the ground, but by whether degraded coastal ecosystems can recover and continue protecting the communities and livelihoods that depend on them.

With climate change, rising sea levels, coastal erosion, pollution and growing pressure on coastal resources threatening the country’s shoreline, conservationists are calling for a shift from tree planting to ecological restoration, an approach that considers the health of the entire mangrove ecosystem.