Mangroves bring nature back - 6th May 2022

An army of volunteers has been creating new mangroves along the banks of Kenya's Sabaki River. This collective effort's an attempt to restore this essential ecosystem's functions, to benefit the estuary and its people.

Generations of villagers dwelling beside the Sabaki estuary have depended on its natural bounty for lumber, firewood, fresh water, seafood and farmland. But as ecologist David Obura observes, overexploitation caused by an explosion in population has taken a devastating toll.

David Obura: "So, the point at which we've got to now - in, globally, in Africa, in Kenya, or just looking at the Kenyan coast, is that population density is very high already. And the amount of resources that have already been extracted - by fishing, by clearing vegetation, by cutting wood for, for charcoal or for construction and things like that - is we already at a ecosystem or environmental deficit right now. So, we can only benefit ourselves and nature by restoring ecosystems right now."

Sustainably nurtured, the coastal wetland serves as a resilient partner protecting communities vulnerable to climate change both as a carbon sink, a means of filtering out pollutants, and a defence from extreme weather and rising tides. Nevertheless, villagers need real world demonstrations of the value of conservation, evidencing the financial gains to be made from rehabilitating local ecosystems.

Conservationists have supported fishermen to abandon unsustainable practices, while volunteer rangers now apprehend loggers in the estuary. As wildlife and birds flock back, locals find opportunities to supplement their income, acting as guides to visitors and school parties.

Having already planted tens of thousands of mangrove trees, the restoration effort continues to grow with every sapling, providing the river with a brighter tomorrow.

Francis Kagema is the coast regional coordinator from the conservation group Nature Kenya.

Francis Kagema: "So, the world is changing a lot. But for the mangroves, the ability to bounce back and come back and colonise the areas they used to be in the past is quite encouraging."