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.

“Kenya needs to restore its mangroves now because the pressure on our coastline is changing faster than our ecosystems can naturally recover,” said Kennedy Onyango Luther, an environmentalist with Global Green Initiative (GGI).

“We are dealing with climate change, rising sea levels, coastal erosion, changing rainfall patterns, pollution and increasing pressure on coastal resources," Luther added.

Kenya has about 61,271 hectares of mangrove forests, comprising nine species distributed along the coastline. The forests are concentrated mainly in Lamu, Kilifi, Kwale, Mombasa and Tana River counties. The country is estimated to lose about 0.7 per cent of its mangrove cover annually, according to the National Mangrove Ecosystem Management Plan.

The pressure comes from several directions, including unsustainable harvesting for firewood and construction, conversion of coastal land, infrastructure development, pollution, aquaculture and other forms of human disturbance.

The degradation matters because mangroves perform functions that extend well beyond the boundaries of the forests.

Their complex root systems trap sediments and help stabilise shorelines, while the vegetation reduces wave energy before it reaches communities and infrastructure further inland. The forests also provide breeding and nursery grounds for fish, crabs, prawns and other marine organisms.

Community members and conservation partners pose among mangrove seedlings at Kilifi Creek after taking part in efforts to restore a degraded section of the coastline. [Amos Kiarie]

For communities whose livelihoods depend on the sea, a damaged mangrove ecosystem can therefore become an economic problem.

“Mangroves are part of a much larger coastal economy and ecological system. They provide breeding and nursery grounds for fish, crabs, prawns and other marine organisms. They provide habitat for birds and other wildlife, stabilise coastlines, trap sediments and help protect communities from waves and storm surges," Luther said.

A healthy mangrove, he said, supports fisheries, tourism and other coastal livelihoods.

“So when mangroves disappear, the impact eventually reaches the household level," Luther added.

The distinction between planting mangroves  and restoring mangrove ecosystems is at the centre of the emerging conservation debate.

Sam Mahamoudi, founder of Global Green Initiative in the Democratic Republic of Congo, says the two should not be treated as synonymous.

“Planting mangroves and restoring a mangrove ecosystem are not necessarily the same thing,” Mahamoudi said.

Before planting begins, conservationists need to understand why the original mangroves disappeared.

Was tidal flow interrupted? Has the soil changed? Is salinity appropriate? Is pollution preventing natural regeneration? Was the area overharvested? Are mangrove seedlings already regenerating naturally?

The answers determine what intervention is appropriate.

“In certain places, the most effective restoration intervention may not be planting at all,” Mahamoudi said.

“It may be restoring tidal circulation and allowing nature to regenerate," he added.

That principle is increasingly informing ecological restoration approaches in which communities and conservationists first seek to understand how a degraded ecosystem functioned before deciding how to intervene.

Luther agrees that planting is only one part of the process.

“Planting is actually one of the easiest parts of restoration; meaningful restoration starts with understanding the ecosystem, from its hydrology, tidal patterns, soil conditions, species composition, historical vegetation and the pressures affecting it,” he said.

Depending on the site, restoration may involve planting, assisted natural regeneration, removal of pressures, hydrological restoration, community protection or a combination of the approaches.

“Sometimes the best intervention is simply to restore tidal flows and allow natural regeneration to take place,” Luther said.

The work does not end when seedlings are planted.

Monitoring, maintenance, community stewardship and protection from further degradation are necessary if restored ecosystems are to survive.

Mahamoudi says this is where many restoration programmes need to rethink how they define success.

“Success should ultimately be measured by whether the ecosystem survives  and functions, not by how many seedlings were photographed on planting day,” he said.

Luther similarly warns against measuring restoration by activity rather than ecological outcomes.

“One of the biggest problems is measuring success by activity rather than ecological outcome,” he said.

“We celebrate planting days, publish the number of seedlings planted and then move on to the next project. But restoration is a long-term process. We need greater investment in protection and maintenance, not just planting," Luther added.

Kilifi provides a glimpse of the scale of the task.

A 2026 study on mangrove rehabilitation in the county found that 640 hectares were targeted for rehabilitation and protection between 2019 and 2024. The research also notes that Kilifi’s restoration efforts include planting and other approaches to recovering degraded mangrove ecosystems.

The county is also covered by the Mtwapa, Takaungu and Kilifi Mangrove Restoration Plan 2024–2028, which targets more than 2,550 hectares of mangrove forests. The plan brings together ecological restoration with fisheries enhancement, water-resource protection, community development, research and potential blue-carbon initiatives.

Other restoration programmes are also underway along the coast. WWF-Kenya said in May 2026 that 48 hectares of mangroves had been placed under restoration in Kilifi County since 2023, with further restoration planned.

The figures show that restoration is no longer a marginal conservation activity.

But they also underline why simply adding more seedlings to restoration statistics is not enough.

The real question is whether restored areas become functioning mangrove ecosystems capable of supporting marine life, protecting the coastline and sustaining communities.

For GGI, communities are central to answering that question.

“You can plant thousands of seedlings, but if the community does not see value in protecting them, those seedlings may not survive,” Luther said.

Communities interact with mangrove ecosystems every day and often know where fish breed, where erosion is occurring, which areas have changed and which resources they depend on.

“Restoration should therefore be done with communities, not for communities,” Luther said.

At Mtongani Kidundu, GGI is working with the Kilifi Climate Change Governance Platform to provide a local structure for continued stewardship.

“That kind of ownership is much more important than a single planting event,” Luther said.

The community approach also brings another resource into conservation: knowledge passed down through generations.

Older residents can recall where mangroves once grew, how coastlines have changed, where fish populations were abundant and how communities traditionally harvested and managed mangrove resources.

“Older generations can tell us where mangroves used to grow, how coastlines have changed, where fish populations were once abundant, how people traditionally harvested mangrove resources, and how communities historically managed certain areas,” Luther said.

“That information can complement scientific data. We should not treat traditional knowledge as something that belongs in the past,” Luther added.

Kelly Banda, coordinator of the Kilifi Climate Change Governance Platform, saw this intergenerational relationship during a recent restoration activity at Kilifi Creek.

“The mangrove restoration activity at Kilifi Creek was a powerful reminder of what resilience and community can achieve,” Banda said.

“Seeing the elderly and the young come together, working side by side to restore and protect our mangroves, was truly inspiring," he added.

For Banda, conservation is not limited by age.

“Everyone has a role to play in protecting our coastline, restoring our ecosystems and building a healthier future for generations to come,” he said.

The next generation, however, needs more than opportunities to participate in planting.

Mahamoudi argues that young people should be equipped to build careers around ecosystem restoration.

Opportunities exist in mangrove nurseries, ecological monitoring, GIS and drone mapping, blue-carbon measurement, research, sustainable aquaculture, fisheries, ecotourism, waste management and environmental communication.

“Young people should not only be invited to plant seedlings. They should be trained to build careers and enterprises around ecosystem restoration,” Mahamoudi said.

That could become particularly important for Kenya as the country develops its blue economy.

Mahamoudi argues that Africa’s young population presents an opportunity at a time when climate adaptation and nature restoration are becoming increasingly important sectors.

“We should therefore move beyond asking young Africans to volunteer for environmental causes,” he said.

“We should equip them to become scientists, entrepreneurs, restoration specialists and custodians of Africa’s natural capital," Mahamoudi said.

Another reason mangroves are attracting attention is their ability to store carbon.

Unlike many terrestrial forests, mangroves store significant amounts of carbon not only in their vegetation but also in the soils beneath them.

That has created growing interest in blue-carbon finance through which conservation and restoration can potentially generate carbon credits.

Kenya already has experience with community-based blue-carbon conservation through initiatives such as Mikoko Pamoja, while the Lamu Blue Carbon Project is targeting the conservation and restoration of about 4,000 hectares of mangrove forest.

But the opportunity comes with risks.

Luther says carbon finance should not result in communities losing control over land or natural resources.

“Carbon should not become another reason for communities to lose control over their land or natural resources,” he said.

“The goal should be to create a system where communities that protect and restore these ecosystems can participate meaningfully in the economic value generated by their conservation," Luther added.

Clear land and resource rights, transparent carbon accounting, credible monitoring, long-term protection and clearly defined benefit-sharing arrangements are necessary, he said.

Communities also need to understand what they are signing up for and how revenues will be distributed.

The bigger question for Kenya is therefore not simply how many mangrove trees can be planted.

It is whether the country can make healthy mangrove ecosystems part of its long-term infrastructure for climate resilience.

Kenya's 2026 International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem celebrations in Lamu placed mangroves at the centre of discussions on a sustainable blue economy and climate resilience, reflecting their growing importance in national environmental planning.

Luther believes the country should aim by 2030 to have restoration programmes that are measurable, community-owned and connected across landscapes rather than isolated planting projects.

By 2050, he wants mangroves to be treated as critical natural infrastructure.

“If we get it right, mangroves could support fisheries, protect coastal settlements, store carbon, improve biodiversity, support tourism and create new conservation-related livelihoods,” he said.

The initiative seeks to restore 15,000 square metres of degraded coastline, with 2,500 mangrove seedlings planted. [Amos Kiarie]

If Kenya fails, the consequences could compound: greater coastal erosion, declining biodiversity, pressure on fisheries and increasing vulnerability of communities and infrastructure to extreme weather.

It could also lose important carbon sinks and natural coastal protection systems.

The stakes therefore extend far beyond the forests themselves

As Banda put it: “When generations come together for a common purpose, we don’t just plant mangroves; we plant hope, strengthen our communities and build resilience for the future.”

Kenya's mangrove challenge is ultimately not about putting more trees into the ground.

It is about restoring the ecological systems that allow those trees to survive, protecting the communities that depend on them and creating an economic reason for future generations to conserve them.

The country does not need more mangrove planting days. It needs functioning mangrove ecosystems that can protect its coast, sustain its fisheries, store carbon and strengthen the communities living alongside them.