Blue Carbon Credits as a Tool for Mangrove Conservation and Community Development: Evidence from Mikoko Pamoja and Vanga Blue Forest, Kenya

Carbon credits have emerged as a pivotal market-based mechanism for financing ecosystem conservation, particularly in blue carbon ecosystems such as mangrove forests. Mangrove trees are especially effective carbon sinks, storing up to ten times more carbon than terrestrial forests, making them critical assets in climate change mitigation strategies. This paper examines the impacts of blue carbon credit schemes, drawing on two pioneering case studies from Kenya's coast: Mikoko Pamoja and Vanga Blue Forest.

In 2012, coastal villages in Gazi Bay implemented the world's first voluntary mangrove carbon credit project, Mikoko Pamoja, followed in 2019 by the larger Vanga Blue Forest Project introduced by three coastal villages further south. Mikoko Pamoja covers 117 hectares in Kwale County, while Vanga Blue Forest protects 460 hectares of mangroves, further underscoring the potential of these ecosystems in climate change mitigation. Revenue generated from carbon credit trading flows into community benefit funds supporting local development in education, water and sanitation, and mangrove reforestation.

The replication of Mikoko Pamoja's model at Vanga has effectively tripled the area of mangroves protected and the number of carbon credits sold, translating into three times the revenue generated. Community perceptions of these projects have been largely positive, with residents reporting improved livelihoods and a deepened appreciation for mangrove ecosystems. Community members highlight that constant engagement of locals in project activities from inception has led them to recognize and hold high regard for the mangrove ecosystems they steward. The findings demonstrate that community-led blue carbon initiatives represent a viable "triple win" for climate, biodiversity, and local development, provided that inclusive governance and equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms are robustly embedded in project design.