Groups ink MoU to restore mangrove forests at Coast
Health & Science
By
Marion Kithi
| Jul 29, 2025
Five environmental groups have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to protect and restore dwindling mangrove forests and seagrass along the Kenyan coast.
During the signing of the MoU, Conservation International (CI), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Nature Conservancy, Wetlands International Eastern Africa, and World Wide Fund for Nature Kenya (WWF-Kenya), called for a visionary approach and unflinching commitment to shaping a more sustainable environment for current and future generations.
Francis Okalo, of IUCN Kenya, said the MOU will provide a collaborative platform for non-state actors and technical experts to advance best practices in mangrove conservation.
“It will also coordinate and consolidate efforts and outputs by non-state actors, ensuring their contribution is aligned with and supports national mangrove conservation targets,” he said.
READ MORE
Help,my cows are not producing enough milk
Insurers now warm up to health cover for the elderly
Why Kenya's affordable housing push must prioritise security, comfort
Food, energy price hikes yield higher inflation in July, says KNBS
Why insurance could be the game-changer for your small business in times of crisis
KenGen starts geothermal exploration in Tanzania's Mbeya region
Acorn reports Sh457 million half-year profit
EABL posts Sh12b profits, to give Sh8 dividend
Court gags faction of wrangling Directline shareholders over shares sale
Okalo said mangrove forests help to create healthy seas because they act as nurseries for fish, prawns, crabs, and other marine animals that breed among the trees stilt-like roots, as well as play a role in combating the climate crisis because of their carbon-storing superpowers, locking down more carbon than a terrestrial forest the same size.
“People love to come to the coast for the pristine waters. The alliance wants to make sure it remains that way for generations to come,” he said.
George Maina, a scientist at The Nature Conservancy, says mangroves stabilise shorelines and help prevent damage from erosion and storm surge.
‘’In the fight to offset climate change, studies suggest that mangroves and coastal wetlands annually sequester carbon at a rate ten times greater than mature tropical forests,’’ he said.
Abdul Hazeez of Wetlands International, said the collaboration is aimed at protecting wetlands for future generations.