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“Community-led climate mitigation and adaptation initiatives are vital in the global fight against climate change,” began Trizah Wawuda, the reigning Miss Valentines, Mombasa 2025/26.

She was taking part in a mangrove planting exercise along Junda Beach, Mombasa, in partnership with the Kenya Forest Service, the Kenya Red Cross, and several community-based organizations, among them Superstars House of Talents and Weslux, during our chance encounter.

Where there were once lush mangrove forests, according to Mr. Abdi, a 60-year-old fisherman native of the area, there is now a muddy shore, save for dead stumps protruding from the water like weary stilts.

“The spade, please,” I asked, looking up from the seedling I had just planted. That’s when I caught it. Across from Junda was Tudor Creek, the water brown and murky from across the channel. Further up the beach, high-rise residential buildings rose against the sky.

“Well, it goes without saying that as these developments rise in our neighborhoods, unregulated, nature is bearing the brunt of it, and in turn, we are paying a heavy price,” said Mr. Abdi, following my gaze.

“Long gone are the heydays of fishing in the channel; now our sons have to wade further, out into the deep, for a decent catch,” he added.

“Aquaculture and logging are also to be blamed for almost 80% of the lost mangrove,” Trizah pointed out, emphasizing that sustainable aquaculture practices needed to be promoted.

What we were observing at Junda reflects a much larger crisis unfolding globally. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), mangroves are among the most carbon-rich forests in the tropics. They store 11% of the total marine carbon input despite covering less than 1% of the coastal area.

Mangroves rank among the planet’s most powerful carbon sinks. Research published in Nature Geoscience shows they sequester carbon 2–4 times faster than mature tropical forests and store up to 1,000 megagrams of carbon per hectare, nearly double that of rainforests.

When destroyed, the climate impact is severe. Mangrove loss contributes nearly 10% of total emissions from global deforestation despite mangroves making up less than 0.7% of tropical forest area.

And half of the world’s mangroves are at risk of collapse by 2050 from sea-level rise alone, stripping away natural barriers that reduce wave energy by 50–75% and storm surges by up to 15 times.

These stark statistics point to the urgent need to mitigate the loss of marine habitats.

Yet along Kenya’s coast, there are signs of hope. According to the Kenya Forest Service, community-led restoration in counties such as Kwale, Lamu, and Mombasa has become a global model. Improved site selection and hydrological restoration now achieve seedling survival rates of 70–90%, a dramatic rise from the 10% seen in early trials.

In Kilifi, for instance, the LEAF Charity has planted more than 100,000 seedlings of seven native species, sequestering over 400 tonnes of CO₂ annually while providing habitat for more than 400 bird and mammal species.

Women-led groups, such as the Mtangawanda Women’s Association on Pate Island, continue to monitor and plant seedlings that restore fisheries and supply fodder, medicine, and honey, breathing life back into ecosystems and livelihoods alike.

As we wrapped up the exercise at Junda, Mr. Abdi summed it up in his quiet way: “If we protect what’s left and restore what we’ve lost, our children might still inherit a coast worth living in.”

Read Also: Mangrove Restoration is Key to Conservation