Senior Research Scientist Mangrove Ecology & Blue Carbon Coastal & Marine Ecosystem Management Mangrove Ecology • Blue Carbon • Climate Adaptation • Community Conservation Email: ahamza@kmfri.go.ke Years of Experience 2009-present (17 years at KMFRI) Research Interests Mangrove Ecology and Coastal Ecosystems; Blue Carbon and Climate Change Mitigation; Community-Based Conservation and Livelihoods; Marine Resource Management; Coastal Vulnerability and Adaptation; Socio-Ecological Systems Research | Research Focus: Advancing community-based conservation, climate action, and sustainable fisheries management through research on mangrove ecology, socio-ecological systems, blue carbon, and climate change adaptation. Dr. Amina Hamza has over a decade of experience in marine and coastal ecosystem management. She holds a PhD in Science and Technology from Bournemouth University (UK), where her doctoral research examined changes in mangrove forests and their implications to community livelihoods and resource management in Kenya. She also earned an MSc in Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management from Vrije Universiteit Brussels (Belgium) and a BSc in Natural Resources Management from Egerton University (Kenya). Her research focuses on mangrove ecology, socio-ecological systems, blue carbon, and climate change adaptation. She has published widely on topics such as global patterns of mangrove resource utilization, ecosystem restoration, and the role of mangroves in disaster risk reduction. Notably, she co-authored studies on Mikoko Pamoja, the world's first community-led mangrove carbon offset project, which has become a model for replication across Kenya and the Western Indian Ocean. Dr. Hamza has played a central role in developing Kenya's National Mangrove Ecosystem Management Plan (2017-2027) and contributes to regional initiatives under the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) and the Western Indian Ocean Mangrove Network (WIOMN). She is also a co-principal investigator in the Going Blue Carbon Project in Lamu, endorsed as part of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). Her collaborations span international research institutions, NGOs, and local community organizations, ensuring that scientific knowledge informs policy and practice. Through her work, Dr. Hamza has advanced community-based conservation, climate action, and sustainable fisheries management, leaving a lasting impact on both science and society. Research & Administrative Responsibility - ▹ Design and development of sustainable coastal ecosystems resource harvest strategies
- ▹ Blue Carbon research including carbon accounting, ecosystem services valuation and climate change mitigation
- ▹ Community-based conservation by integrating alternative livelihoods into mangrove management
- ▹ Drafting, coordinating and implementing research workplans
- ▹ Scientific writing and dissemination
- ▹ Capacity building in Coastal and Marine Resource Management
Research Interest / Areas of Expertise - ▹ Mangrove Ecology and Coastal Ecosystems
- ▹ Blue Carbon and Climate Change Mitigation
- ▹ Community-Based Conservation and Livelihoods
- ▹ Marine Resource Management
- ▹ Coastal Vulnerability and Adaptation
- ▹ Socio-Ecological Systems Research
Academic Qualifications - ▹ PhD in Science and Technology – Bournemouth University, UK (2019-2022)
- ▹ MSc in Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management – Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Belgium (2011-2013)
- ▹ BSc in Natural Resource Management – Egerton University, Kenya (2003-2007)
Professional Membership - ▹ Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) – Member
- ▹ Western Indian Ocean Mangrove Network (WIOMN) – Member
Professional Services - ▹ Kwale County Mangrove Management Committee – Member
Selected Publications A global biodiversity use data infrastructure acknowledging indigenous and local knowledge (2026). npj Biodiversity Leveraging mangroves to advance climate action in Africa: zooming in on Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) (2025). Journal of Environmental Management Global patterns of mangrove resource utilization: a systematic review (2024). Frontiers in Sustainable Resource Management Sustainable natural resource management must recognise community diversity (2023). International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology Changes in Mangrove Cover and Exposure to Coastal Hazards in Kenya (2022). Land The Mangal Play: A serious game to experience multi-stakeholder decision-making in complex mangrove social-ecological systems (2022). Frontiers in Marine Science Past and present Utilization of Mangrove Resources in Eastern Africa and Drivers of Change (2020). Journal of Coastal Research Links |
