Legislators from four East African countries neighboring the Indian Ocean , have called for more budgetary allocation towards the conservation of mangrove forests.

Addressing journalists yesterday after touring the Gasi Mangrove Forest in Kwale County, the MPs drawn from Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar and Mozambique called on their respective countries, to allocate more resources towards conservation of forests.

Led by Kisumu Woman Rep Rozaah Buyu, who is also a member of Kenya’s National Assembly Environment and Natural Resources Committee, the lawmakers said mangrove plantations are important components on carbon credit and good fish breeding sites.

“Last month mangrove plantations were highly recognised and their benefits highlighted at the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) that was held in Glasgow-Scotland,” Buyu said.

She noted that after the conference, the parliamentary group saw the need for a tour of the mangrove areas.

Danstan Kitandula; an MP from Tanzania said that mangroves are some of the few measures that can curb climate change which has highly affected the world.

“Because of the importance of these plantations, we in Tanzania are planning to heighten calls for more budgetary allocations towards the conservation of mangroves,”Kitandula said.

Importance
Asya Mwidini, another MP from Zanzibar said most of the locals in Tanzania are yet to consider the importance of mangrove forests.
She said the Zanzibar government is planning to undertake more sensitisation programmess on mangroves.

“The government has seen there is a need for the locals to be sensitised more on mangrove plantations which are abundant in Zanzibar and can highly benefit the locals,” she said.