A mangrove conservation project has improved lives and possibly the air in this Kenyan village

The village of Gazi Bay on Kenya's coast, just 55 kilometres south of bustling Mombasa and tucked away from the country's well-trodden tourism circuit, has gained traction in recent years as a model for restoring and tending carbon-sucking mangrove trees.

The Mikoko Pamoja project has conserved a 100 hectares of mangrove.(AP: Brian Inganga)

Nestled between sandy beaches, still waters and coconut palms, the Mikoko Pamoja project — Swahili for “mangroves together” — has for nearly a decade quietly plodded away, conserving more than 100 hectares of mangroves while simultaneously planting new seedlings.

About 4,000 new mangroves are planted each year, steadily swelling Gazi Bay's forests.

The project has been going for almost 10 years.(AP: Brian Inganga)

These marine ecosystems capture more carbon dioxide than typical terrestrial forests, making them attractive funding prospects for faraway governments and businesses looking to offset their greenhouse gas emissions.

Wages and resources have improved for locals.(AP: Brian Inganga)

While carbon offsets receive a mixed response from environmentalists, the source of consistent funding has improved the lives of those involved in the project and in surrounding coastal villages.

Community wages have gone up and resources for locals have improved.

About 4,000 new mangroves are planted each year.(AP: Brian Inganga)

Schools have benefited from the project. (AP: Brian Inganga)

With deliberate conservation, comes natural perks.

Fishers casting nets in nearby shallow waters have seen an abundance of species return to the mangrove-laden shores, now a breeding ground for fish flourishing in the expanded habitat.

Nearby residents have reported better air quality. (AP: Brian Inganga)

And project leaders hail the benefits of cleaner air for people who live in or near the forests.

Now entering its 10th year, the award-winning project has inspired other nations to follow suit.

The mangroves have become a popular breeding ground for fish. (AP: Brian Inganga)

Several mangrove forests across Africa have been destroyed due to coastal development, logging or fish farming, making coastal communities more vulnerable to flooding and rising sea levels.

The award winning project has inspired other countries.(AP: Brian Inganga)

For those living under Mikoko Pamoja's mangrove umbrella, many of those concerns have, at least partially, subsided.

AP