County Government of Lamu will continue working with stake holders towards improved mangrove forest conservation and restoration as a natural climate solution.

Speaking during a consultative meeting that was held at the County Headquaters, Lamu Governor H.E. Issa Timamy E.G.H, O.G.W emphasized on the need to foster innovative partnerships that would lead to sustainable solutions towards protecting the degraded carbon-rich ecosystems.

The Council of Governors’ Blue Economy Committee Chair, further noted that mainstreaming the blue carbon conservation and associated habitats into coastal development programs, would greatly assist towards achieving climate benefits and improve livelihoods across the coastal counties.

“Mangroves are powerful carbon sinks with an ability to suck up carbon dioxide from the air to their roots and branches five to ten times more carbon than forests. As stakeholders, there is urgent need to protect these precious vegetation from human-induced threats that are a threat to the marine ecosystem” Governor Timamy said.

With Lamu accounting for more than half of Kenya’s mangrove forests, the stake holders agreed to embark on restoration at the degraded areas as well as implement a sustainable plan on mangrove harvesting without affecting the critical role they play in biodiversity and shoreline protection.

The meeting was attended by representatives from United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT), Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and National Environment Management Authority of Kenya (NEMA)

-Ends-

For more information contact:

Lamu County Government Communications Office at communication@lamu.go.ke