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At the project’s outset, mangrove forests in the region were disappearing at a rate of 2.7% per year. Increasing demographic pressures, overharvesting of forests for fuelwood and building timber, and intensifying climate impacts all took a drastic toll on the vital ecosystems. Local communities depended upon the mangrove forests for wood and for the ecological roles they played in ensuring clean water, healthy fisheries, and storm protection.
Given the challenging socioeconomics of surrounding villages, conservation and restoration strategies alone were insufficient: to ensure long-term success for conservation efforts, local livelihoods and community wellbeing required equal attention. Ecotourism initiatives had languished and local terrorist activities spiked when communities tried to generate external sources of revenue. In response, the project created a holistic solution.
Scientists studying the Gazi Bay area’s extraordinary mangrove ecosystems recognized that perilous ecological and social conditions in the region were interrelated. In response, the Scotland-based Association for Coastal Ecosystem Services (ACES) stepped in as a project coordinator and gathered representatives from the Gazi and Makongeni villages to form the Mikoko Pamoja Community Organization (MPCO). They continued to gather experts and resources from the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Tidal Forests of Kenya Project, and local communities to create the Mikoko Pamoja Steering Group (MPSG). Together, these groups developed a carbon credit plan using the Plan Vivo carbon standard that is adapted to the Markit registry. In 2012, their initial goal was to return at least 70% of the profits to local communities. They exceeded that goal, and today, 82% of carbon credit returns are directly infused into community-determined initiatives.
Monitoring and assessing changes in forest cover, carbon stocks, and associated emissions or removals in carbon forestry projects or REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) initiatives.
Mikoko Pamoja tracks tree planting, growth, and carbon sequestration on an annual basis and verifies its data every five years. It also uses satellite models to predict forest changes.
Trust
Third-Party Verification
The protection and preservation of natural environments from damage or destruction to safeguard biodiversity and ecological resilience.
Mikoko Pamoja focuses on conserving intact mangrove forests and on restoring populations of mangroves that were lost due to extraction for building materials or as fuel wood.
Trust
Third-Party Verification
Monitoring and assessing improvements in individual and community well-being (e.g., local air quality, access to clean energy, job creation, and capacity building) to ensure that communities directly benefit from the projects beyond carbon mitigation.
Mikoko Pamoja uses policies and monitoring to ensure equitable community benefits, to avoid unintended consequences, and to maximize positive impacts.
Trust
Self-Reported
The practice of planting an area with trees to contribute to ecological restoration efforts in former forest ecosystems.
Mikoko Pamoja focuses its reforestation efforts on mangrove tree plantings, stump counts, and forest growth to determine the project’s annual carbon credits.
Trust
Third-Party Verification
Mitigating the process by which soil, sediment, and land are displaced or carried away by natural elements or human activities to reduce detrimental impact on agriculture and the environment (e.g., soil degradation, water pollution); typically involves implementing measures that stabilize soil.
With increasingly intense storms and sea-level rise, conserving and restoring mangroves is vital for reducing soil erosion on vulnerable shorelines in coastal areas.
Trust
Third-Party Verification
Monitoring and assessing changes in forest cover, carbon stocks, and associated emissions or removals in carbon forestry projects or REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) initiatives.
Mikoko Pamoja tracks tree planting, growth, and carbon sequestration on an annual basis and verifies its data every five years. It also uses satellite models to predict forest changes.
Trust
Third-Party Verification
The protection and preservation of natural environments from damage or destruction to safeguard biodiversity and ecological resilience.
Mikoko Pamoja focuses on conserving intact mangrove forests and on restoring populations of mangroves that were lost due to extraction for building materials or as fuel wood.
Trust
Third-Party Verification
Monitoring and assessing improvements in individual and community well-being (e.g., local air quality, access to clean energy, job creation, and capacity building) to ensure that communities directly benefit from the projects beyond carbon mitigation.
Mikoko Pamoja uses policies and monitoring to ensure equitable community benefits, to avoid unintended consequences, and to maximize positive impacts.
Trust
Self-Reported
Remove or reduce excess concentrations of organic matter and dissolved nutrients in the water column via natural filtration from shellfish.
Mangrove restoration improves water quality because those trees filter up to 90% of the salt found in seawater through their root systems and capture excessive nutrients and sediments in the process.
Trust
Self-Reported
The practice of planting an area with trees to contribute to ecological restoration efforts in former forest ecosystems.
Mikoko Pamoja focuses its reforestation efforts on mangrove tree plantings, stump counts, and forest growth to determine the project’s annual carbon credits.
Trust
Third-Party Verification
?The practices, facilities, and conditions that promote safe management of human waste, maintenance of cleanliness, and prevention of diseases in individuals and communities; encompasses various aspects related to the proper disposal of waste, access to clean water, and personal hygiene practices.
Income from the project is used by participating communities to fund water and sanitation projects that reduce instances of waterborne diseases and provide safe drinking water for two villages.
Trust
Self-Reported
Mitigating the process by which soil, sediment, and land are displaced or carried away by natural elements or human activities to reduce detrimental impact on agriculture and the environment (e.g., soil degradation, water pollution); typically involves implementing measures that stabilize soil.
With increasingly intense storms and sea-level rise, conserving and restoring mangroves is vital for reducing soil erosion on vulnerable shorelines in coastal areas.
Trust
Third-Party Verification
Modifications to an ecosystem in or around a body of water that positively impact the aquatic (water-dwelling) plants, animals, or habitat.
The root systems of mangrove trees create increased surface area and niches for diverse habitats that enhance ecosystem health and the area's capacity for biodiversity.
Trust
Third-Party Verification
Monitoring and assessing changes in forest cover, carbon stocks, and associated emissions or removals in carbon forestry projects or REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) initiatives.
Mikoko Pamoja tracks tree planting, growth, and carbon sequestration on an annual basis and verifies its data every five years. It also uses satellite models to predict forest changes.
Trust
Third-Party Verification
The protection and preservation of natural environments from damage or destruction to safeguard biodiversity and ecological resilience.
Mikoko Pamoja focuses on conserving intact mangrove forests and on restoring populations of mangroves that were lost due to extraction for building materials or as fuel wood.
Trust
Third-Party Verification
Monitoring and assessing improvements in individual and community well-being (e.g., local air quality, access to clean energy, job creation, and capacity building) to ensure that communities directly benefit from the projects beyond carbon mitigation.
Mikoko Pamoja uses policies and monitoring to ensure equitable community benefits, to avoid unintended consequences, and to maximize positive impacts.
Trust
Self-Reported
Remove or reduce excess concentrations of organic matter and dissolved nutrients in the water column via natural filtration from shellfish.
Mangrove restoration improves water quality because those trees filter up to 90% of the salt found in seawater through their root systems and capture excessive nutrients and sediments in the process.
Trust
Self-Reported
The practice of planting an area with trees to contribute to ecological restoration efforts in former forest ecosystems.
Mikoko Pamoja focuses its reforestation efforts on mangrove tree plantings, stump counts, and forest growth to determine the project’s annual carbon credits.
Trust
Third-Party Verification
The practices, facilities, and conditions that promote safe management of human waste, maintenance of cleanliness, and prevention of diseases in individuals and communities; encompasses various aspects related to the proper disposal of waste, access to clean water, and personal hygiene practices.
Income from the project is used by participating communities to fund water and sanitation projects that reduce instances of waterborne diseases and provide safe drinking water for two villages.
Trust
Self-Reported
Mitigating the process by which soil, sediment, and land are displaced or carried away by natural elements or human activities to reduce detrimental impact on agriculture and the environment (e.g., soil degradation, water pollution); typically involves implementing measures that stabilize soil.
With increasingly intense storms and sea-level rise, conserving and restoring mangroves is vital for reducing soil erosion on vulnerable shorelines in coastal areas.
Trust
Third-Party Verification
The protection and preservation of natural environments from damage or destruction to safeguard biodiversity and ecological resilience.
Mikoko Pamoja focuses on conserving intact mangrove forests and on restoring populations of mangroves that were lost due to extraction for building materials or as fuel wood.
Trust
Third-Party Verification
Monitoring and assessing improvements in individual and community well-being (e.g., local air quality, access to clean energy, job creation, and capacity building) to ensure that communities directly benefit from the projects beyond carbon mitigation.
Mikoko Pamoja uses policies and monitoring to ensure equitable community benefits, to avoid unintended consequences, and to maximize positive impacts.
Trust
Self-Reported
Long-term monitoring programs established to track changes in species populations, diversity, and ecosystem health over time.
Mikoko Pamoja uses crabs as a biodiversity assessment and as indicators of ecosystem health and efficiency.
Trust
Third-Party Verification
The practice of planting an area with trees to contribute to ecological restoration efforts in former forest ecosystems.
Mikoko Pamoja focuses its reforestation efforts on mangrove tree plantings, stump counts, and forest growth to determine the project’s annual carbon credits.
Trust
Third-Party Verification
Mitigating the process by which soil, sediment, and land are displaced or carried away by natural elements or human activities to reduce detrimental impact on agriculture and the environment (e.g., soil degradation, water pollution); typically involves implementing measures that stabilize soil.
With increasingly intense storms and sea-level rise, conserving and restoring mangroves is vital for reducing soil erosion on vulnerable shorelines in coastal areas.
Trust
Third-Party Verification
Modifications to an ecosystem in or around a body of water that positively impact the aquatic (water-dwelling) plants, animals, or habitat.
The root systems of mangrove trees create increased surface area and niches for diverse habitats that enhance ecosystem health and the area's capacity for biodiversity.
Trust
Third-Party Verification
Creation of opportunities that allow individuals to work collaboratively on projects that address issues involving their geographic area or common interests; maximizes input, effort, and potential benefit to the community.
Mikoko Pamoja partners with local villages and involves 150+ individuals in the process of allocating credit revenues for projects that benefit their communities.
Trust
Self-Reported
Gathering data on socioeconomic factors (e.g., income, education, employment, access to services) to understand disparities and identify areas that require targeted interventions.
Mikoko Pamoja works with the local community and its members to understand their needs, socioeconomic status, and development goals.
Trust
Self-Reported
Developing and implementing mechanisms that ensure fair and equitable distribution of benefits derived from EBF activities (e.g., revenue-sharing arrangements, community benefit funds, participation in decision-making processes, etc.).
Mikoko Pamoja reinvests income from carbon credits directly back into the community and community initiatives (e.g., education, capacity building initiatives, etc.).
Trust
Self-Reported
Monitoring and assessing improvements in individual and community well-being (e.g., local air quality, access to clean energy, job creation, and capacity building) to ensure that communities directly benefit from the projects beyond carbon mitigation.
Mikoko Pamoja uses policies and monitoring to ensure equitable community benefits, to avoid unintended consequences, and to maximize positive impacts.
Trust
Self-Reported
Considers how funds are distributed among project stakeholders (e.g., project developers, local communities, etc.) to ensure the distribution of payments is fair and equitable; focuses on supporting local communities, sustainable development, and long-term viability of environmental projects.
Mikoko Pamoja participates in benefit sharing from the project by arranging community consultations about priorities and by ensuring fairness and equitability in the distribution of funds.
Trust
Self-Reported
The increased capacity of women to participate in, contribute to, and benefit from economic resources and opportunities (e.g., jobs, financial services, property, skills development); increases ability to negotiate fairer distribution of benefits derived from economic growth.
Mikoko Pamoja collaborates with local communities through workshops and discussions that foster women's roles in coastal biodiversity management and enhance their roles as stewards and leaders.
Trust
Self-Reported
Improved livelihoods refer to positive changes in the quality of life, well-being, and economic conditions of individuals and communities. It encompasses various aspects, including income generation, access to basic services, social empowerment, and overall human development.
Mikoko Pamoja's mangrove preservation efforts generate jobs, fund community projects, and ensure sustainable extraction of fuel wood and building materials.
Trust
Self-Reported
Capacity-building is defined as the process of developing and strengthening the skills, instincts, abilities, processes and resources that organizations and communities need to survive, adapt, and thrive in a fast-changing world.
The 'Forest Scholars' program educates and empowers youth to become stewards of coastal ecosystems by training them to collect and understand project data.
Trust
Self-Reported
Training for safety, equipment, efficiency, personal conduct, diversity, etc.
Mikoko Pamoja collaborates with the community, youth, and universities to build local capacity for ongoing conservation efforts in research, education, and administration.
Trust
Self-Reported
Monitoring and assessing changes in forest cover, carbon stocks, and associated emissions or removals in carbon forestry projects or REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) initiatives.
Mikoko Pamoja records tree growth, forest structure, and new plantings annually to monitor forest health and carbon sequestration, linked to a verification process every five years.
Trust
Third-Party Verification
The protection and preservation of natural environments from damage or destruction to safeguard biodiversity and ecological resilience.
Mikoko Pamoja tracks tree planting, growth, and carbon sequestration on an annual basis and verifies its data every five years. It also uses satellite models to predict forest changes.
Trust
Third-Party Verification
Monitoring and assessing improvements in individual and community well-being (e.g., local air quality, access to clean energy, job creation, and capacity building) to ensure that communities directly benefit from the projects beyond carbon mitigation.
Mikoko Pamoja uses policies and monitoring to ensure equitable community benefits, to avoid unintended consequences, and to maximize positive impacts.
Trust
Self-Reported
The practice of planting an area with trees to contribute to ecological restoration efforts in former forest ecosystems.
Mikoko Pamoja focuses its reforestation efforts on mangrove tree plantings, stump counts, and forest growth to determine the project’s annual carbon credits.
Trust
Third-Party Verification
Mitigating the process by which soil, sediment, and land are displaced or carried away by natural elements or human activities to reduce detrimental impact on agriculture and the environment (e.g., soil degradation, water pollution); typically involves implementing measures that stabilize soil.
With increasingly intense storms and sea-level rise, conserving and restoring mangroves is vital for reducing soil erosion on vulnerable shorelines in coastal areas.
Trust
Third-Party Verification
Mikoko Pamoja’s conservation and restoration focus, framed by a blue carbon strategy, nests neatly in EBF’s Natural sector:
At its outset in 2012, the project established three primary ecological objectives: conservation of existing mangrove ecosystems, restoration of degraded mangrove ecosystems, and reforestation in previous mangrove areas. As the project unfolded, project leaders noticed that conservation and restoration efforts yielded more significant impacts than reforestation attempts, so they shifted the project emphasis to those two areas. Since then, the project’s goal has been to fund those initiatives, and to simultaneously generate revenues for surrounding communities through the sale of carbon credits derived from carbon sequestration in intact and restored mangrove forests.
Clean air is vital for maintaining human health, reducing the risk of respiratory diseases, and supporting ecosystem balance and biodiversity. 
Clean and accessible water is crucial for the well-being of ecosystems, the preservation of biodiversity, and the fulfillment of essential human needs.
Healthy soils are essential for promoting robust plant growth, enhancing nutrient cycling, supporting diverse microbial communities, and mitigating soil erosion.
Enhancing and safeguarding biodiversity ensures the stability of ecosystems by providing invaluable services such as pollination, pest control, and genetic diversity.
Diversity and inclusion foster social justice, ensure equal access to resources derived from the environment, and promote the well-being of all, regardless of background.
Carbon capture and storage is crucial for tackling climate change, and by safeguarding the sustainability of our ecosystems, helps to ensure a thriving future for all. 
Measuring, assessment, and record-keeping conducted by the project collaborators. Self-reporting may include fieldwork, collecting quantitative and qualitative data, stakeholder evaluations, verifying paperwork, and other methods. 
Project collaborators may use data capture and verification methods such as game cameras, in-field geo-referenced documentation, and satellite data to confirm self-reported results. 
Some or all data is placed onto blockchain to ensure the immutability and transparency of specified shared data, sometimes using specified protocols for designated certifiers and registries. 
Evaluation or assessment conducted by an independent, trusted entity utilizing established standards and protocols, often in association with a specified certification process. 
Evaluation or assessment is conducted by an independent, trusted entity to ensure the accuracy and integrity of reported data. 
Record keeping mechanism that establishes standardized protocols for credit issuance and project registration, and provides a public ledger where credit ownership can be tracked from creation to retirement; the traceability of registry transactions protects the integrity of credit assets by ensuring that a credit or token cannot be allocated to more than one entity. 
Clean air is vital for maintaining human health, reducing the risk of respiratory diseases, and supporting ecosystem balance and biodiversity.
Clean and accessible water is crucial for the well-being of ecosystems, the preservation of biodiversity, and the fulfillment of essential human needs.
Healthy soils are essential for promoting robust plant growth, enhancing nutrient cycling, supporting diverse microbial communities, and mitigating soil erosion.
Enhancing and safeguarding biodiversity ensures the stability of ecosystems by providing invaluable services such as pollination, pest control, and genetic diversity.
Diversity and inclusion foster social justice, ensure equal access to resources derived from the environment, and promote the well-being of all, regardless of background.
Carbon capture and storage is crucial for tackling climate change, and by safeguarding the sustainability of our ecosystems, helps to ensure a thriving future for all.
Measuring, assessment, and record-keeping conducted by the project collaborators. Self-reporting may include fieldwork, collecting quantitative and qualitative data, stakeholder evaluations, verifying paperwork, and other methods.
Project collaborators may use data capture and verification methods such as game cameras, in-field geo-referenced documentation, and satellite data to confirm self-reported results.
Some or all data is placed onto blockchain to ensure the immutability and transparency of specified shared data, sometimes using specified protocols for designated certifiers and registries.
Evaluation or assessment conducted by an independent, trusted entity utilizing established standards and protocols, often in association with a specified certification process.
Evaluation or assessment is conducted by an independent, trusted entity to ensure the accuracy and integrity of reported data.
Record keeping mechanism that establishes standardized protocols for credit issuance and project registration, and provides a public ledger where credit ownership can be tracked from creation to retirement; the traceability of registry transactions protects the integrity of credit assets by ensuring that a credit or token cannot be allocated to more than one entity. 
Clean air is vital for maintaining human health, reducing the risk of respiratory diseases, and supporting ecosystem balance and biodiversity.
Clean and accessible water is crucial for the well-being of ecosystems, the preservation of biodiversity, and the fulfillment of essential human needs.
Healthy soils are essential for promoting robust plant growth, enhancing nutrient cycling, supporting diverse microbial communities, and mitigating soil erosion.
Enhancing and safeguarding biodiversity ensures the stability of ecosystems by providing invaluable services such as pollination, pest control, and genetic diversity.
Diversity and inclusion foster social justice, ensure equal access to resources derived from the environment, and promote the well-being of all, regardless of background.
Carbon capture and storage is crucial for tackling climate change, and by safeguarding the sustainability of our ecosystems, helps to ensure a thriving future for all.
Measuring, assessment, and record-keeping conducted by the project collaborators. Self-reporting may include fieldwork, collecting quantitative and qualitative data, stakeholder evaluations, verifying paperwork, and other methods.
Project collaborators may use data capture and verification methods such as game cameras, in-field geo-referenced documentation, and satellite data to confirm self-reported results.
Some or all data is placed onto blockchain to ensure the immutability and transparency of specified shared data, sometimes using specified protocols for designated certifiers and registries.
Evaluation or assessment conducted by an independent, trusted entity utilizing established standards and protocols, often in association with a specified certification process.
Evaluation or assessment is conducted by an independent, trusted entity to ensure the accuracy and integrity of reported data.
Record keeping mechanism that establishes standardized protocols for credit issuance and project registration, and provides a public ledger where credit ownership can be tracked from creation to retirement; the traceability of registry transactions protects the integrity of credit assets by ensuring that a credit or token cannot be allocated to more than one entity. 
Clean air is vital for maintaining human health, reducing the risk of respiratory diseases, and supporting ecosystem balance and biodiversity.
Clean and accessible water is crucial for the well-being of ecosystems, the preservation of biodiversity, and the fulfillment of essential human needs.
Healthy soils are essential for promoting robust plant growth, enhancing nutrient cycling, supporting diverse microbial communities, and mitigating soil erosion.
Enhancing and safeguarding biodiversity ensures the stability of ecosystems by providing invaluable services such as pollination, pest control, and genetic diversity.
Diversity and inclusion foster social justice, ensure equal access to resources derived from the environment, and promote the well-being of all, regardless of background.
Carbon capture and storage is crucial for tackling climate change, and by safeguarding the sustainability of our ecosystems, helps to ensure a thriving future for all.
Measuring, assessment, and record-keeping conducted by the project collaborators. Self-reporting may include fieldwork, collecting quantitative and qualitative data, stakeholder evaluations, verifying paperwork, and other methods.
Project collaborators may use data capture and verification methods such as game cameras, in-field geo-referenced documentation, and satellite data to confirm self-reported results.
Some or all data is placed onto blockchain to ensure the immutability and transparency of specified shared data, sometimes using specified protocols for designated certifiers and registries.
Evaluation or assessment conducted by an independent, trusted entity utilizing established standards and protocols, often in association with a specified certification process.
Evaluation or assessment is conducted by an independent, trusted entity to ensure the accuracy and integrity of reported data.
Record keeping mechanism that establishes standardized protocols for credit issuance and project registration, and provides a public ledger where credit ownership can be tracked from creation to retirement; the traceability of registry transactions protects the integrity of credit assets by ensuring that a credit or token cannot be allocated to more than one entity. Carbon credits for the project are based on accepted scientific calculations of carbon sequestered in comparable intact mangrove ecosystems. This data is correlated with the existing baseline conditions at the project sites to model anticipated carbon sequestration, and carbon credits are then based on those projections. To determine the accuracy of those projections, annual monitoring includes tree and stump counts, forest growth measurements, and other low-cost data collection methods. These methods align with the requirements of Plan Vivo, the carbon standard framework used by the project.
Mangrove trees and their ecosystems provide many benefits beyond carbon, including improvement of water quality, wildlife habitat, diverse fisheries, sediment capture, and storm protection. All of those benefits yield positive impacts for the surrounding communities as well, and they also add to the quality and integrity of Mikoko Pamoja’s carbon credits.
Nonetheless, a lack of funding and technical resources have thus far prevented the project from adding additional credits for air, soil, water, biodiversity, and equity, even though the project is already gathering information related to those benefits. Measurement, recording, and verification for each benefit requires protocols, technology, and human resources that are out of financial reach for the project’s current revenues.
Plan Vivo carbon standards provide a framework well-suited for Mikoko Pamoja’s needs and resources. Detailed scientific protocols align with the project’s financial and technological capacities, balancing integrity in data collection with modest resources, allowing the project to utilize Excel spreadsheet documentation and cloud-based data sharing. Although the technologies employed are somewhat basic, project leaders also want to ensure that the data they do collect is accessible and understandable to the communities involved in the project.
While some data is collected for benefits other than carbon, access to technology and the costs associated with measurement and monitoring limit the development of additional credits up to this point. Nonetheless, project leaders and the twenty-year contract both allow for adaptation of protocols that best meet the needs of the targeted ecosystems and surrounding communities.
Forest data is collected annually and is audited by Kenyan officials. Equity data related to socioeconomic conditions is also collected and verified annually. Data related to other ecological benefits such as biodiversity improvements (e.g., crab counts and seagrass inventories) are reviewed and verified every five years. Further verification is not currently financially feasible.
Data for forest protection and prescribed tree plantings are reviewed annually with a “traffic signal” protocol to determine whether an area: met the targeted thresholds and will receive full payment (green), fell slightly short of the targets and will receive 50% of the contracted payment (amber), or failed to meet the base minimum target and will receive no payment (red).
Project developers face two contrasting tasks: designing a project that lays out plausible, positive outcomes, and simultaneously assessing the risks of unexpected or undesirable circumstances. Weather events, civil unrest, and changing market conditions are just a few of the factors that can transform a good idea into financial quagmire.
The collaborators who designed the Mikoko Pamoja project confronted multiple scenarios that could potentially endanger the project’s success. They took into account the region’s economic insecurity, political instability, climate change and other uncertainties and embedded those possibilities into their calculations and design to address three key concerns: permanence, leakage, and additionality.
Mikoko Pamoja employs a unique approach to risk management for permanence by investing returns into the communities that rely heavily upon healthy mangrove forests. The impact of a 20-year contract may extend well beyond the contract’s life if community members are invested in and clearly benefiting from intact mangrove ecosystems. Mangrove trees can live 400 years or more, so investments in these ecosystems are, to some degree, ecologically durable, presuming the threats of detrimental human activities and intensifying climate changes are mitigated.
The potential devaluation or disappearance of carbon payments would certainly introduce challenges, given the negative impacts to the communities involved. Deterioration of socioeconomic realities within local communities will likely lead to degradation of surrounding mangrove forests due to collection of fuelwood and building materials, and due to illegal activities related to logging, fishing, and poaching.
The innovative nature of Mikoko Pamoja addresses any additionality concerns. Without the project’s twin interventions into community-led ecosystem conservation and additional revenue streams, the degradation of this world-renowned ecosystem would almost certainly have continued at its prior estimated loss of 2.7% per year.
Mangrove ecosystems and community wellbeing are monitored on a regular basis. Forest carbon stocks and local socioeconomic conditions are measured annually, while soil, water, and biodiversity conditions are measured every 5 years. The project provides a 15% leakage buffer for its carbon stock projections. Perhaps more importantly, it created a designated woodlot for community fuelwood extraction to minimize impacts on conserved areas.
Credit payments and charitable donations support Mikoko Pamoja’s project oversight and implementation, as well as payments to participating communities. No brokers are involved in the project’s marketing; credits are negotiated directly with buyers under the auspices of the Plan Vivo standards. Mikoko Pamoja vets buyers to prevent greenwashing that might impact the integrity of their credits. All purchases are made directly to maximize transparency and trust between buyers and sellers, and to avoid the cost of intermediaries.
ACES sells the credits, receives the funds, and covers its internal costs and those associated with the verification of standards. Funds are then moved to the community organization (MPCO), which pays its employees, covers programmatic expenses, and allocates funds to the initiatives prioritized by community members.
Eventually, the credits will be placed on the Markit registry, but that requires an in-depth and costly five-year verification process that is currently underway. The contract with Plan Vivo has a twenty-year duration, a timeframe determined appropriate for project implementation and the accrual of ecological benefits. The contract allows for adaptive changes to the Project Design Document (PDD), based on lessons learned, during each of the five-year verification and renewal processes.
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