According to a recent research, climate change impacts associated with increased flooding and sedimentation may increase the sea level that could submerge mangroves at the Kenyan coast.
The report farther shows that death of mangroves due to climate change impacts has been observed in several areas along the coastline such as Gazi Bay, Mwache creek, Ngomeni, Tana River and Dodori creek.
Other threats include over-harvesting for firewood, charcoal, building timber, poles and traditional medicines.
While the above may cause depletion of this importanrt natural resource the major potential threats are due to oil pollution by oil spills.
Records have shown that between 1983 and 1993 Mombasa port and surrounding shores experienced a 391,680 tonne oil spill that affected mangroves around Port Ritz and Makupa creeks.
Other sources of mangrove depletion includes salt mining, and there are several salt extraction activities in the area. Environmental impacts associated with salt extraction include hyper salinity in areas close to mangroves leading to their death.
Poor land use practices in the hinterland has not helped matters as loads of sediments are flooded into the mangrove forests.
A lot of effort should be put in the conservation of this resource for the benefit of the current as well as the future generations.Many of these mangrove forests take years to mature, which would take as many if not more years to restore the disrupted ecosystem.
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