what we do
Coastal Ecosystem Restoration
Coastal Ecosystem Restoration is Twende Green Planet’s umbrella approach to restoring Kenya’s coastline: mangrove forests, tidal wetlands and the fringing habitats between them, using the same community-ownership model that made Gazi Bay’s Mikoko Pamoja the world’s first verified community-led blue carbon project. It sets the overall framework that our Mangrove Nursery & Seedling Care, Mangrove Restoration and Seagrass Restoration work all sit inside.
Every site starts with an ecological and social assessment: degradation causes, tidal and salinity conditions, and who in the community depends on the site, before any restoration plan is drawn up.
- Site degradation and hydrology assessment
- Species and habitat suitability mapping
- Community land-use and dependency mapping
- Restoration plan drafted with community input
Restoration only lasts if the community that depends on the ecosystem owns the process, the same principle behind Mikoko Pamoja’s model at Gazi Bay.
- Community meetings to agree restoration goals and boundaries
- Local restoration committees formed to lead delivery
- Clear, shared rules on resource use during recovery
- Livelihood links identified: fisheries, nurseries, ecotourism
- Training in restoration and monitoring skills
Restoration methods are matched to each site, from mangrove replanting to tidal-wetland rehabilitation and erosion control.
- Mangrove and coastal wetland replanting
- Hydrological restoration where tidal flow has been blocked
- Erosion control and shoreline stabilisation
- Invasive species removal where needed
- Site protection during early recovery
We track what actually grows, not just what gets planted. That is the same discipline that makes Mikoko Pamoja’s carbon credits independently verifiable.
- Regular survival and growth monitoring
- Site-level data shared with community committees
- Reporting aligned to partner and funder requirements
- Long-term ecological monitoring beyond the planting phase
- Lessons fed back into the next site’s restoration plan
What Coastal Restoration Covers
From Assessment to Long-Term Stewardship
Every restoration site moves through four connected stages:
Ecological and social assessment before any restoration plan is drawn up.
Local restoration committees lead delivery, not an outside contractor.
Mangrove, wetland and shoreline restoration matched to each site.
Survival and growth tracked well beyond the initial planting phase.
Why This Works
Built on Kenya's Own Blue Carbon Track Record
We’re not starting from theory. We’re applying the same community-ownership model that made Gazi Bay’s Mikoko Pamoja the world’s first verified community-led blue carbon project.
- Modelled on Mikoko Pamoja, Kenya's own pioneering, internationally verified blue carbon project
- Community-led: local committees govern restoration, not an outside contractor
- Aligned with Kenya's National Blue Carbon and Blue Economy Strategy (launched June 2026)
- Advances UN SDGs 13, 14 and 15, and the African Union's Agenda 2063 blue economy goals, directly and not as an afterthought
Why This Works
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a "coastal ecosystem" in this programme?
Mangrove forests, tidal wetlands and the fringing shoreline habitats between them: the full coastal zone, not mangroves alone.
How is this different from the Mangrove Restoration and Seagrass Restoration programmes?
This programme is the umbrella framework: site assessment, community ownership and overall coastal rehabilitation. Mangrove Restoration and Seagrass Restoration are the specific, on-the-ground delivery programmes that operate inside it.
Who decides what gets restored, and where?
The local community, through a restoration committee formed at the start of each site. Twende Green Planet facilitates and supports, but does not impose the plan.
How long does a restoration site take to recover?
It varies by site and degradation level. Early survival is tracked from the first season, with meaningful ecosystem recovery typically unfolding over several years.
How is success measured?
Survival and growth data at the site level, shared with the community committee and reported to partners and funders on a regular schedule.
How does this connect to Mikoko Pamoja?
Mikoko Pamoja, at Gazi Bay, is the model this whole approach is built on: Kenya’s own internationally verified proof that community-led blue carbon restoration works.
