ZANZIBAR: ALONG Zanzibar’s coastline, mangroves are far more than trees standing between land and sea. They are nurseries for marine life, natural barriers against coastal erosion, havens for biodiversity and an important source of livelihoods for communities whose lives are closely tied to the sea. Yet these vital coastal ecosystems face growing pressure from human … The post Zanzibar launches mangrove project to boost livelihoods in 15 shehias appeared first on Daily News .
ZANZIBAR: ALONG Zanzibar’s coastline, mangroves are far more than trees standing between land and sea.
They are nurseries for marine life, natural barriers against coastal erosion, havens for biodiversity and an important source of livelihoods for communities whose lives are closely tied to the sea.
Yet these vital coastal ecosystems face growing pressure from human activity and environmental change.
It is against this backdrop that STAWI Africa Foundation and Graine de Vie Luxembourg (GdVL) have officially launched Mikoko Hai, a three-year initiative designed to restore mangrove ecosystems in Chwaka Bay and Menai Bay, while helping coastal communities build more resilient and sustainable livelihoods.
The South Unguja Regional Commissioner, Hamida Mussa Khamis, officiated the project.
The project, formally known as Community Resilience and Livelihoods through Mangrove Restoration and Agroforestry, will work across 15 Shehias in Zanzibar, bringing together government, civil society organisations, local leadership, and communities to make mangrove restoration a locally owned process.
The name Mikoko Hai, meaning “Living and Thriving Mangroves” in Swahili, captures the initiative’s central idea: restoring mangroves is ultimately about restoring life.
According to the STAWI Africa Foundation Chairperson Eva Wasonga, the project is about bringing degraded ecosystems back to health, but also about strengthening the people who depend on those ecosystems.
“Mikoko Hai is, first and foremost, a community project. Our mangroves have always sustained the people who live alongside them, and today we begin the work of giving that relationship a future,” said Ms Wasonga
She said STAWI Africa, working with Graine de Vie Luxembourg, the Department of Forestry and community partners, was confident the initiative could help restore the coastline while strengthening both people and the environment for generations to come.
**More than planting trees **
The significance of Mikoko Hai lies in its decision to approach conservation and livelihoods as interconnected challenges rather than separate priorities.
Mangrove restoration is at the heart of the project, but the programme goes beyond planting trees.
At the centre of implementation will be Eco Credit Groups, which will serve as direct beneficiaries and key community actors across the 15 Shehias.
Through these groups, communities will be supported to participate in mangrove restoration, protection and sustainable management while developing the knowledge and skills needed to pursue alternative sources of income.
The project will support a range of nature-friendly economic activities, including beekeeping, crab fattening and seaweed farming, alongside coconut tree management and restoration.
Communities will also be supported through agroforestry and eco-agriculture demonstration farms, fruit and indigenous tree nurseries, a community fruit-drying plant and energy-efficient cookstoves.
A dedicated seaweed and youth community centre will add another dimension, particularly by creating opportunities for young people.
Business training and market-access support will also form part of the initiative, with the aim of helping communities turn environmentally sustainable activities into viable and diversified livelihoods.
The approach reflects a simple reality: where households depend heavily on natural resources, protecting those resources requires giving communities sustainable economic alternatives.
**Communities as guardians **
For Zanzibar’s coastal communities, the health of mangroves and the health of local economies are closely connected.
This is why local participation is expected to be one of the defining features of Mikoko Hai.
Community members will not simply be recipients of a conservation programme. They will participate in mangrove restoration, patrols and monitoring, as well as environmental education and awareness campaigns.
Shehas and members of the Community Forest Management Associations (COFMAs) have also been urged to play an active role in mobilising communities and protecting restored areas.
At the launch, Regional Commissioner Hamida Mussa Khamis described mangroves as one of Zanzibar’s major natural assets, highlighting their role in protecting the coastline, supporting fish and other marine organisms, helping address the effects of climate change and creating economic opportunities.
She also warned of the damage caused by unsustainable cutting of mangroves and called on local leaders and community conservation groups to take an active role in protecting the forests.
“Mangroves are among the most vital natural assets we have here in Zanzibar,” Ms Khamis stated during her address.
“For many years, our mangroves have faced degradation due to unregulated logging, a situation that threatens both our environmental future and the livelihoods of our people.”
Local administrators (Shehas) and members of Community Forestry Management Areas (COFMAs) have been tasked with leading the restoration effort directly within their jurisdictions.
“The success of this initiative relies heavily on your engagement, as you are the primary guardians of these mangroves within your areas,” Ms Khamis told community representatives, pledging full regional government support for the project’s duration.
**Why Chwaka Bay and Menai Bay matter **
The focus on Chwaka Bay and Menai Bay is significant because the condition of these coastal ecosystems is closely connected to the wellbeing of surrounding communities and to Zanzibar’s broader environmental health.
According to Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS) documentation, mangrove reserves serve as vital natural bio-shields against ocean waves and land degradation across Tanzania’s coastal lines and deltas.
Research shows that a 100-metre belt of mature mangroves can reduce incoming wave energy by up to 66 per cent, protecting shorelines from severe erosion.
TFS notes that coastal mangrove zones support critical lifecycle stages for marine wildlife, acting as essential feeding, breeding, and nursery habitats.
Ecological research in the Western Indian Ocean demonstrates that up to 75 per cent to 80 per cent of commercially harvested fish, crabs, prawns, and molluscs depend directly on mangrove ecosystems for shelter during juvenile stages.
Over the next three years, STAWI Africa and its partners will work with communities across the 15 Shehias to make mangrove restoration a participatory and locally driven process.
The ambition is not simply to see more mangrove seedlings in the ground.
Success will mean healthier coastal ecosystems, stronger community institutions, diversified livelihoods, greater environmental awareness and communities with the skills and capacity to continue protecting their natural resources.
The expected benefits could also extend beyond the direct beneficiaries of the project.
As Eco Credit Group members gain knowledge, skills and economic opportunities, the benefits may reach their households, neighbouring community members and the wider local economy.
At the same time, healthier mangrove ecosystems can contribute to biodiversity conservation, coastal protection and greater resilience to climate change.
That is what makes Mikoko Hai more than a conventional tree-planting initiative.
At its heart is the belief that conservation lasts when the people living alongside nature have a stake in protecting it.
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