Marine Expert Sounds Alarm over Massive Destruction of Kenya's Mangrove Forests.

-
By Charles Ogallo

A recent report released by Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute-KEMFRI , the Kenya’s only  research institution dealing with marine and fisheries has revealed a massive deforestation of mangrove leaving the country with a loss of over 20 percent of her mangrove forest cover annually.

Most affected areas are Tudor Creek and Portreitz in Mombasa which lost 86 and 46 percent of their mangrove covers respectively, representing the highest mangrove loss rate not only in Kenya but globally.

In his speech during celebrations to mark this year’s World Biodiversity Day Dr. Jared Bosire the KEMFRI Deputy director admitted  that mangroves in these areas have been devastated and that causing serious environmental and socio-economic implications to marine ecosystem along the Kenyan Coast.

“Urgent concerted efforts are required to save these unique mangroves before they are completely devastated and thus save our biodiversity and livelihoods which depend on these mangroves” Dr. Bossire said.

The destructions are caused by people allegedly hiding in the forest to make illegal brews. Much of the trees are claimed to have been burnt and used as firewood by alcohol brewers who are hiding from police and other law enforcers. 

According to researchers, mangroves forests form part of nutrient-rich environments which promote a variety of food chains, hence function as nursery and feeding grounds for fish and invertebrates. Many of these species are known to spend part of their life cycle in coral reefs, sea grasses and open waters.

Historically, Mangrove trees have been important in shoreline stabilization and provide resources for both rural and urban coastal populations. It’s estimated that 70 percent of the wood requirement adjacent to mangroves come from this forest.

Dr. Bossire termed mangrove forests as important element in Climate change mitigation as well as in carbon trade investment globally. 

“In the context of climate change, mangroves are great carbon sinks, sequestering about 5 times more carbon per unit area than any other forest ecosystem thus helping in mitigating climate change. The sequestered carbon can infact be packaged and sold into existing and emerging international carbon market and that the funds from carbon units used to support mangrove conservation” he added.

The destruction of mangroves has therefore left the area prone to effects of climate change such as beach erosion and uncurbed carbon emissions.

Environmentalists are however calling for quick intervention from the government to avert the denting situation. They have also proposed for civic education on environmental conservation among residents to avoid a repeat of such occurrences.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

QYPE website rocks the entertainment and travel world.

-
By Kojanews.net. Qype has in-depth information about Restaurants, Bars, Hotels, Events and more on Health and beauty around the globe. Whether it be Shopping, Eating / Drinking, Arts or anything else that you are interested in, http://www.qype.co.uk has all it takes. It’s the site of the day. The site is like a compass, it’s easy to navigate and use. With a click of a button, the world will be around you with information at your finger tips. And the results are all fantastic. Qype is becoming the world popular site for travelers, job seekers, shoppers, holiday makers, business personalities seeking for markets, explorers and students looking for best and quality colleges and Universities across the globe. From popular pizza restaurants in London to first class toy shops in Rio de Janeiro, Qype brings millions of people together online in seeking for best and secure places to be, anywhere and anytime across the world. With Qype you can build a network of friends and foes. You can swap ...
Read more

Touch Phones turning tides in a competitive global phone industry.

-
Image
By Charles Ogallo The speedy growth of ICT industry is turning on the global phone industry.The industry is introducing more better modern and high-tech phones. With the introduction of the iPhone back in November 2007, a flood of touch screen phones has been realized worldwide.Everyone now loves to have touch capabilities on their phone but how to access them is becoming a major problem. However, a new website specifically dedicated to phone lovers has finally been introduced. Touch-Phones.co.uk is where every mobile phone is touch capable. It’s the real and lively access to the latest phones, phone features and all online places to buy them! Touch Phones has also been discribed as the Ultimate Touch Screen Phone Comparison Site. The home to all Touch Screen Phones deals, Touch Phone Brands, Touch Phone Networks, Touch Phone Colors and Touch Phone Free gifts for everyone to choose from. Potential buyers have an opportunity and a chance to compare different brands from online retailers...
Read more

"Reclaim Mangrove Forests or else Perish!" Experts now warn.

-
Image
By Charles Ogallo. Scientists now warn Western Indian Ocean countries of a catastrophic future unless immediate interventions are put in place to reclaim the badly depilated Mangrove Forests in the region. They attributed frequent impacts of sea surges, inundations and natural disasters recorded in the recent years in the coastal areas as strong evidence of increased vulnerability of the region to ecological disasters. Researchers say mangroves which cover 37 percent of the WIO region and have significantly played economical and socio-cultural roles in the lives of coastal communities was badly being degraded. Mangroves were known to have environmental values as they protect the coastal strip from erosion. Mangroves forests also play vital roles biologically, with a high level of fauna biodiversity as over 80% of commercial fisheries and other aquatic species spent most or part of their life cycle in the mangroves. Ecologically, they play a crucial role in fertilisation, stabilisation,...
Read more