Magic bullet against climate change? Saving mangroves in Kenya

Mangroves can help combat climate change, say Nguu, a marine biologist at the Mikoko Pamoja project, and his colleague Anne Wanjiru Kamau. Photos: Gioia Forster/dpa

The metre-high trees with roots resembling an octopus' tentacles can be appreciated in all their glory when the tide is out here in Gazi, a sleepy bay in southeastern Kenya.

"It can take up to 10 years for a mangrove plantation to grow," explains Josphat Nguu as he inspects the green giants.