Influence of Land Use Practices on Marine Ecosystem Services: A Ridge-to-Reef Assessment of Kenya’s Coastal Resilience

Land-sea interactions play a critical role in shaping the health and resilience of marine ecosystems, particularly in rapidly developing coastal regions. In Kenya, increasing land use changes driven by agriculture, urbanization, deforestation, and infrastructure development are significantly altering watershed processes, with downstream impacts on marine ecosystem services.This study applies a ridge-to-reef framework to examine how upstream land use practices influence coastal and marine ecosystems. Drawing on empirical literature and regional evidence, the study identifies key pathways linking land activities to marine degradation, including sedimentation, nutrient enrichment, pollution transfer, and hydrological changes. Agricultural expansion and deforestation increase sediment and nutrient runoff, contributing to eutrophication, reduced water quality, and degradation of coral reefs and seagrass habitats (Fabricius, 2005; Carlson et al., 2019).

Similarly, urban development and inadequate waste management introduce pollutants that further compromise marine ecosystem integrity (UNEP, 2021).These pressures undermine critical ecosystem services such as fisheries productivity, coastal protection, carbon sequestration, and tourism. Mangrove degradation, for instance, reduces shoreline protection and blue carbon storage, while coral reef decline affects fish habitats and biodiversity (Alongi, 2008; Barbier et al., 2011).The study highlights the need for integrated land–sea governance approaches that address cumulative impacts across sectors. It recommends strengthening land use planning, enforcing environmental regulations, and promoting ecosystem-based management and nature-based solutions such as mangrove restoration. By linking terrestrial activities to marine outcomes, this research provides policy-relevant insights for enhancing coastal resilience and sustainable aquatic resource management in Kenya and the wider Western Indian Ocean region.