Environmental restoration and community development often exist as separate initiatives, but Kenya’s Mangrove Restoration Projects are proving the remarkable power of uniting these goals. These massive initiatives, led by Veritree and EarthLungs and funded by the Husqvarna Forst and Garden, are far more than environmental interventions. They are also driving life-changing economic revival, food security and climate resilience for the surrounding communities.
“For generations, these communities have relied on mangrove ecosystems for fishing, shelter, protection from storms and natural medicine,” says Derrick Emsley, CEO and co-founder of Veritree. “However, as the mangroves started to disappear due to charcoal production, coastal development and unsustainable harvesting, these communities have faced deepening poverty and vulnerability.”
Emsley explains that the Mangrove Restoration Projects aim to reverse this damage, not just by planting trees, but by placing local people at the centre of the solution. “It’s about including local communities as active participants and leaders in the restoration process, because without them, true sustainability is not possible.”
Through the strategic training and employment of locals in critical activities – from excavating trenches to access nutrient-rich soil and encourage water flow, to planting and site management – the projects tap into generations of local ecological knowledge. Jobs created through the projects have helped people gain skills that contribute to both environmental and social resilience, providing new income sources and allowing families to improve their livelihoods.
“By creating hundreds of jobs, the projects are bringing positive change to communities on the ground,” says Flora Awiro, COO of EarthLungs. “As the mangroves are restored, so is hope and as these young forests gradually take shape, they are creating new opportunities for the people who have always depended on them.”
Over time, these newly planted mangroves will offer even greater benefits. Thriving ecosystems will boost fish populations, potentially increasing local fishing yields by up to 40% within a decade. The restored coastal buffer will also shield villages from storm surges that once threatened homes and infrastructure. “We’re rebuilding entire marine food webs,” Awiro elaborates. “As these mangroves mature, we expect to see the return of numerous fish species, crabs and mollusks that have become rare in degraded areas. This means more food security and income diversity for local fishers.”
With over 550,000 trees being planted, this project is building momentum. But the vision goes beyond numbers. It’s about creating a model where conservation and development work in tandem and where success is measured not just in trees planted, but in lives improved.
“What we’re witnessing is the power of aligned incentives,” adds Jonas Willaredt, Vice President of Sustainability Affairs, Strategy & Business Development at Husqvarna Forest and Garden. “When restoration directly improves livelihoods, communities become the most dedicated conservationists you could hope for. This model proves we don’t need to choose between environmental health and human prosperity.”
The Kenyan Mangrove Restoration Projects are more than an environmental effort – they represent next-generation sustainability, and the role business can play. They demonstrate how jobs, ecosystems, and resilience are interconnected and what happens when strategy meets impact. When communities are empowered and ecosystems are restored, the benefits reinforce each other. Jobs are created, coastlines are protected, food sources are rebuilt, and families gain the tools to generate sustainable incomes.
As these trees take root, they become the foundation of a lasting strategy for ecological and economic resilience. And as partners like Veritree, EarthLungs and Husqvarna continue to collaborate, the lessons from Kenya mangrove restoration projects could inspire similar transformations in other vulnerable regions around the world.
Progress on the Kenyan Mangrove Restoration Projects can be tracked through Veritree’s transparent monitoring system at https://impact.veritree.com/husqvarna
For more information about Husqvarna’s sustainability initiatives, visit https://www.husqvarnagroup.com/en/sustainability