Mikoko Pamoja (vilket betyder “mangrove tillsammans” på swahili) är världens första projekt att finansiera bevarande av mangroveskogar genom försäljning av klimatkompensationskrediter. Projektet är ett samarbete mellan lokala, nationella och internationella organisationer som gått samman för att stödja förvaltningen av mangroven i denna speciella vik vid Kenyas sydostkust. Frivilligorganisationer, forskningsinstitutioner och myndigheter samarbetar för att stödja samhället i att skydda den livsviktiga mangroveskogen, vilket gynnar både lokalsamhället, miljön och klimatet.

Inkomster från klimatkompensationen möjliggör inte bara att skogen skyddas och återbeskogas – pengarna räcker också till att stärka det lokala samhället. Rent vatten har hittills tillhandahållits till 3 500 personer, 700 skolbarn har fått utbildningsmaterial samtidigt som 117 hektar skog har skyddats.

Detta innovativa projekt har fått internationellt erkännande. År 2017 vann projektet det prestigefyllda Equator Initiative Price för sitt arbete.

ZeroMission besökte projektet 2016.

Mikoko Pamoja is the world’s first project to finance conservation of mangrove forests through the sale of carbon offset credits. The project is a collaboration between local, national and international organizations that have joined forces to support the management of the mangroves in this special bay on Kenya’s southeast coast. Voluntary organizations, research institutions and authorities work together to support the local villages to protect its vital mangrove forest, which benefits both the local community, the environment and the climate.

Mangroves provide a wide range of services and benefits to both the environment and the surrounding community. These include coastal protection, nursery habitat for fish including many species fished by the surrounding communities, water purification, improving biodiversity and sequestering large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. By raising income from forest resources, including carbon credits and other income-generating activities such as beekeeping and ecotourism, the project safeguards these benefits for the local community and for future generations.

This community-led project also supports local development projects such as provision of schoolbooks, construction of school buildings and the provision of clean drinking water.

This innovative project has received international recognition. In 2017, the project won the prestigious Equator Initiative Award for its work.

ZeroMission visited the project in 2016.