Gazi Community Reaping Big from Carbon Credit Trading

The science of carbon sequestration flies over the heads of many, but for a community in two remote villages of Gazi and Makongeni in Kwale County in Kenya’s South Coast, ‘kaa hewa’ as carbon credit is usually referred to in their local Swahili dialect is slowly and steadily transforming their livelihoods. Since its inception in 2014, Mikoko Pamoja Community Organisation has been able to ensure conservation of 117 ha of mangroves in the Gazi bay. In addition, the group through the technical support from Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) and WWF- Kenya has established new mangrove forests covering 10 ha. In return, the community has received a total of 2.6 million shillings over the past two years, proceeds whose impact has breathed life into the two villages and put it back on a growth trajectory rekindling hopes of a better tomorrow for future generations.