More than trees: The fight to save vanishing shield in Kenya's Coast

Alcohol brewing equipment destroyed in sections of mangrove forest at the Coast (PHOTO: Courtesy)

At first light in Gazi Bay, the tide moves in quietly, threading through the exposed roots of mangrove trees as fishermen prepare their nets. For generations, these forests have been a source of food, protection, and identity. Today, however, some of the trees that have long anchored both coastline and culture are beginning to disappear.

Among them are two  species whose loss is being felt in different but equally profound ways: Xylocarpus granatum, locally known as Mkomafu, and Sonneratia alba, or Mlilana. Their decline is not dramatic at first glance, but to those who know these forests, it signals something deeper, an ecosystem under strain, and a way of life at risk.