Marine institute eyes share of carbon trading billions – Business Daily
Mikoko Pamoja project manager Josphat Mwamba. PHOTO | FADHILI FREDRICK | NMG
The Kenya Marine Fisheries Research Institute (Kmfri) is planning to launch a carbon credit offset project in Lamu County.
The project will emulate Kwale’s Mikoko Pamoja, the first carbon credit project where communities conserve mangroves and earn from offsets.
Through the Go Blue Project, the institution in partnership with Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani (JKP) will focus on communities conserving over 1,000 hectares of mangroves while fighting climate change.
According to the institute’s chief scientist, Dr James Kairo, this will be the third carbon project being implemented after the success of the Vanga Blue Project in Lungalunga Constituency, Kwale county.
“We want to uplift communities and the lives of coastal people by taking advantage of the biodiversity brought by mangrove conservation,” Dr Kairo said. He said the project was key in Lamu since the county has the largest coverage of mangrove forests in Kenya at 61 percent. Kenya has 61,000 hectares of mangroves.
According to Dr Kairu, they are targeting to produce at least 100,000 tonnes of carbon which is equivalent to Sh120 million (one million USD) every year in the Lamu project.
The initiative is part of the Go Blue project funded by the European Union. It is aimed at supporting communities across Kilifi, Lamu, Tana River, Taita Taveta, Kwale and Mombasa counties in benefiting from the Ocean through Blue Economy projects and implemented by JKP.
It is also aimed at helping communities fight climate change through coastal resilient initiatives.
Other key sectors of focus across the six counties include fisheries and aquaculture, maritime security, culture and tourism, spatial land-sea planning and environmental conservation.
JKP chief executive officer (CEO) Emmanuel Nzai said they chose Lamu because of the sensitivity of the mangroves in that area and the need to conserve them.
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