Page 10 - Kenya Report

Climate change

The impacts of climate change including rising temperatures, flooding, increases in extreme events
and sea level rise all have the potential to impact coastal ecosystems greatly. Of these, sea-level rise
is thought to be the greatest climate change challenge that mangrove ecosystems will face (McLeod
& Salm, 2006).

Increases in temperature induces bleaching of the coral reefs and accelerates mortality rate. In 1998,
Country Profile
the hard-coral cover reduced to 8 per cent. The coral cover remained below 10 per cent between
1999 and 2003. The year 2013 marked a slow recovery to 25 per cent, which consequently dropped
The Republic of Kenya
to below 25 per cent between 2014 and 2015 (Obura, et al., 2017). The coastal zone has significant
low-lying land areas that are vulnerable to increased flooding, landward saltwater intrusion, and
shoreline erosion, including recently developed areas (Okemwa, Ruwa, and Mwandotto, 1997).
Tourist and port facilities and other industries could particularly be affected. Ecologically, loss of
coral reefs, coastal and marine biodiversity, and fisheries is also possible. Informal and/or unplanned
settlements in the coastal zone also negatively impact the environment through the poor drainage
system, and also lead to high vulnerability (e.g., due to intense back-to-back development lead.

The Opportunity

Strengthening coastal zone management
Notwithstanding having adopted an Integrated Coastal Zone Management approach, the management
and planning of most of the sectors, constituting the marine diversity, is largely sectoral. The sectoral
management is usually characterized as unplanned and uncoordinated. There is opportunity to
address this challenge through a more streamlined approach to institutional and policy planning.

The signing of the Nairobi Convention for the Protection, Management and Development of the
Marine and Coastal Environment of the Eastern African Region. The convention requires Kenya to
take measure to prevent, reduce and combat pollution of convention area;

Mangrove Development Programmes
The government of Kenya has endeavoured to restore the mangrove ecosystem through policies,
programmes and institutional approaches. There is a National Mangrove Ecosystem Management
Plan for the 2017-2027 which provides a map towards the sustainable management and utilization
of the mangrove ecosystem (ROK, 2017). It also highlights the following programmes:
• Tourism Development Programme: developing tourism and maximizing revenue flow through
marketing and safeguarding mangroves’ integrity.

• Fisheries Development and Management Programme: sustainable conservation of the
mangroves for their role in providing habitat and acting as breeding grounds for wildlife and fisheries.

• Mangrove Forest Conservation and Utilization Programme: focusing on sustainable
management of mangrove ecosystem for wood purposes without jeopardizing the environment’s
integrity.
• Community Programme: promoting local institutional capacity and community involvement in
mangrove conservation and management.

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