Kenya: The Kenya Forest Service hosted a high level consultation meeting on Going Blue focusing on mainstreaming blue carbon conservation and associated habitats into coastal development programmes.
The Project is aimed at integrating blue carbon, particularly mangroves and sea grass conservation, into community livelihood and coastal development in Kenya.
The meeting was chaired by Peter Waweru, Senior Deputy CCF (Forest Conservation and Management), who noted the importance of the Blue Economy, which is an upcoming development sector for Kenya and urged all the stakeholders to maximize the potential that in non-extractive uses of mangroves. He added that the Service will do its part in policy intervention and implementation to boost the rehabilitation of degraded mangrove forests in the coastal region.
Madam Charity Munyasa, DCCF Natural Forest Conservation, who was also in the meeting, further explained the relationship between the Going Blue Project and the National Mangrove Ecosystem Management Plan. She called for increased collaboration, partnerships, creating synergies and networking amongst the key strategic stakeholders in the region to foster partnerships.
Dr James Kairo from Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) gave a project overview outlining the objectives of the Project, such as the review and updating of information and knowledge of blue carbon in Kenya, Supporting sustainable utilization of mangroves through the development of mangrove harvest plans and more.
The Service is one of the implementing partners of the Project of a larger team of partners and stakeholders that includes UNEP, Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani(JKP), KMFRI and The Nature Conservancy (TNC). The Project, jointly funded by UNEP and TNC, will take part in the rehabilitation of 16000 hectares of degraded mangrove forests, where 2000 Hectares have successfully been restored.
Present at the meeting were Dr Benjamin Kinyili, DCCF Mr Peter Nduati, Coastal Regional Forest Conservator Nafasi Mfahaya, and other representatives from KFS and the afore mentioned partners.
