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Climate Justice for Mangrove Livelihoods in Lamu County

 🌍 Safeguarding Livelihoods and Ecosystems: Climate Justice for Mangrove Communities in Lamu County, Kenya

In the face of a rapidly changing climate, communities across the globe are grappling with environmental degradation, sea level rise, and economic insecurity. For the people of Lamu County, Kenya, who depend heavily on mangrove ecosystems for their livelihood, the stakes are incredibly high. Here, the intersection of climate justice, legal frameworks, and stakeholder dynamics plays a critical role in shaping a sustainable future.

                                                                               


    

🌿 Mangroves: More Than Just Trees

Mangroves in Lamu are not only biodiversity hotspots but also lifelines for local communities. They support fishing, tourism, wood harvesting, and cultural practices, while also serving as buffers against coastal erosion and carbon sinks. Their degradation—caused by unsustainable exploitation, climate change, and weak governance—poses a threat to both environmental integrity and human livelihoods.

⚖️ Climate Justice Laws: Recognizing Rights and Responsibilities

The concept of climate justice centers on equitable treatment of all people in climate policy and action. In Kenya, national frameworks such as the Climate Change Act (2016) and the Forest Conservation and Management Act (2016) provide a legal basis for integrating local communities in climate response. However, the implementation in Lamu faces challenges due to:

  • Limited awareness of legal rights among local stakeholders

  • Inadequate representation of indigenous voices in policy-making

  • Conflicting mandates between national and county-level authorities

These laws strive to empower communities, but more needs to be done to ensure true participatory governance.

🏛️ Policy Framework: Between Vision and Reality

Kenya's climate policies reflect a strong commitment to sustainable development, including the National Mangrove Ecosystem Management Plan and the Lamu County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP). Yet, gaps persist in terms of resource allocation, monitoring, and community outreach. Additionally, overlapping land tenure systems complicate the management of mangrove forests.

Policy alignment between conservation, climate adaptation, and socio-economic development remains a key hurdle. For real impact, these frameworks must bridge the gap between paper-based commitments and community-level realities.

🧑🏽‍🤝‍🧑🏽 Actor Space: Who’s In and Who’s Out?

The "actor space"—comprising government institutions, NGOs, local leaders, private investors, and community members—often reflects an imbalance of power. While national bodies dominate decision-making, local communities, who are most affected, are frequently marginalized.

Key stakeholders include:

  • Kenya Forest Service (KFS)

  • Local Beach Management Units (BMUs)

  • Community Forest Associations (CFAs)

  • Environmental NGOs such as the WWF and Nature Kenya

  • County Government of Lamu

True climate justice can only be achieved when all actors, especially women, youth, and indigenous groups, are given a voice and the capacity to influence decisions.

🌱 Path Forward: From Frameworks to Fairness

To secure climate justice for mangrove-dependent communities in Lamu, Kenya must:

  1. Enhance legal literacy at the grassroots level

  2. Strengthen community participation in climate and environmental governance

  3. Harmonize policies across different sectors and governance levels

  4. Invest in capacity building for local conservation and sustainable livelihood projects

  5. Create accountability mechanisms to ensure equitable benefit-sharing

🌊 Conclusion

Mangrove forests are more than natural resources—they are the cultural and economic backbone of coastal communities in Lamu. Protecting them through equitable climate policies and inclusive governance is not just an environmental obligation, but a matter of justice. The road ahead demands collaboration, transparency, and empowerment—because sustainable change can only take root when it is grounded in the lived realities of the people it seeks to uplift.

32nd Edition of International Research Awards on Science, Health and Engineering | 30-31 May 2025 |Paris, France

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