How Kenyan coastal villagers are cashing in on carbon credits.

Kiswahili speakers in East Africa have invented a new word, 'hewa kaa,' to describe carbon credit.

Hewa kaa is a commodity villagers in Kenya's coastal region are selling to international corporations as monetary incentive for them to reduce their carbon emissions. When asked what business these villagers are in, they say, "We are selling air."

The villagers are part of Mikoko Pamoja - Swahili for 'mangroves together' - which is a development initiative in the Gazi and Makongeni areas of the south coast of Kenya. This pioneering project promotes the conservation and sustainable use of mangrove resources to achieve three goals: mitigate climate change, conserve biodiversity and enhance community livelihood.

Mikoko Pamoja conserves 117 hectares of state-owned mangroves, representing almost 16 per cent of the ecosystem in the Gazi Bay. During the 20 years from 2013 to 2033, the project seeks to protect 107 hectares of natural mangrove forests and conserve 10 hectares of red mangrove plantation that were established in denuded areas in the early 1990s.

The carbon benefits from protecting and planting mangroves are substantial because mangroves retain carbon in their biomass and lock it into the marine mud. According to the Equator Initiative, more than 1,500 metric tons of carbon per hectare are stored beneath the mangrove forests, which is more than eight times that of terrestrial forests.

As a result of these efforts, Mikoko Pamoja became the first-ever blue carbon initiative in the world that sold carbon credits from mangrove conservation activities for community development, according to the Equator Initiative. With most credit trading projects based on terrestrial ecosystems, going 'blue' includes conservation and restoration of ocean-based carbon sinks, such as mangrove forests.

Set up in 2002, the Equator Initiative is a UN-led, multi-sectoral partnership that brings together governments, civil society, academia, business and grassroots organizations to recognize and advance local, nature-based sustainable development solutions for people, nature, and resilient communities.

Why mangroves?

Mangroves, also called the 'blue forests,' typically grow in the intertidal zone along tropical and subtropical coastlines.

About 75 per cent of mangroves worldwide are concentrated in just 15 countries, and barely 7 per cent lie in protected areas, according to Equator Initiative. These trees are essential for both human and marine life.

Mangroves:

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