These marine ecosystems capture more carbon dioxide than typical terrestrial forests, making them attractive funding prospects for faraway governments and businesses looking to offset their greenhouse gas emissions.
The village of Gazi Bay on Kenya’s coast, only 55km south of bustling Mombasa and tucked away from the country’s well-trodden tourism circuit, has gained traction over the past few years as a model for restoring and tending the carbon-capturing mangrove trees that now crowd its green shoreline.
Nestled between sandy beaches, still waters and coconut palms, a project called Mikoko Pamoja Swahili for “mangroves together” has for nearly a decade quietly plodded away, conserving more than 100 hectares of mangroves, while simultaneously planting new seedlings.
About 4,000 new mangroves are planted each year, steadily swelling Gazi Bay’s forests.
These marine