500 Hectares Restored

The Manda Projects is proud to announce that 500 hectares of mangrove forest have now been successfully restored across Manda Island and the surrounding Lamu Archipelago — a milestone that marks six years of sustained effort by our teams and partner communities.

The restored areas span four distinct mangrove zones, each replanted using locally propagated seedlings of native species including Rhizophora mucronata and Avicennia marina. Survival rates across cohorts planted since 2022 have exceeded 78 percent, well above regional benchmarks.

Beyond the ecological impact, the restoration programme has generated over 12,000 paid workdays for community members in Manda, Shella, and Matondoni villages since 2023. Nursery operations, planting crews, and long-term monitoring patrols are all staffed by local residents trained under the programme.

Restored mangrove stands are already showing measurable carbon sequestration gains, with a third-party audit completed in October 2025 confirming the project's eligibility for voluntary carbon credit registration. Proceeds will be reinvested directly into community enterprise funds.

"Reaching 500 hectares is significant, but what matters more is the quality of what has grown back," said the project's restoration lead. "These are forests that will outlast all of us if the communities around them continue to see their value."

Work continues into 2026 with a target of 750 hectares by end of year, alongside expanded efforts to restore seagrass meadows adjacent to the mangrove fringe.