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🇹🇿 Tanzania /Environment & Climate

Zanzibar launches three-year project to restore mangroves and strengthen coastal livelihoods

From The Citizen · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Zanzibar launched the three-year Mikoko Hai project across 15 shehias in Chwaka Bay and Menai Bay.
  • The initiative combines mangrove restoration with income-generating activities to reduce pressure on coastal ecosystems and strengthen community resilience.
  • STAWI Africa Foundation is implementing the project with Graine de Vie Luxembourg and Zanzibar’s Department of Forestry, with Luxembourg government co-financing.

Zanzibar has launched a three-year effort to bring its mangroves back to life while helping coastal communities build more secure livelihoods. The Mikoko Hai project will operate across 15 shehias in Chwaka Bay and Menai Bay, linking ecosystem restoration with climate resilience.

The project, formally called Community Resilience and Livelihoods through Mangrove Restoration and Agroforestry, was launched on September 3, 2026, by South Unguja Regional Commissioner Hamida Mussa Khamis. Its name, Mikoko Hai, means “Living and Thriving Mangroves.”

STAWI Africa Foundation is implementing the initiative in partnership with Graine de Vie Luxembourg and the Department of Forestry of the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar. The Government of Luxembourg is providing co-financing.

The project aims to reduce pressure on coastal ecosystems by pairing mangrove restoration with activities that generate income. STAWI Africa Foundation chairperson Eva Wasonga said local residents would be at the center of the effort, describing Mikoko Hai as “first and foremost, a community project.”

First and foremost, a community project.

· Eva WasongaThe STAWI Africa Foundation chairperson described the role of local communities in the Mikoko Hai initiative.
About this summary

Originally published by The Citizen in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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