To protect some of the world’s most climate-resilient coral reefs and support the communities that rely on them, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Kenya Marine Program is implementing the Miamba Yetu: Sustainable Reef Investments Programme, a pioneering blended finance initiative that brings together grant funding and private capital to address urgent conservation and development needs in East Africa.
The Miamba Yetu Programme—named from the Swahili phrase meaning “Our Reefs”—focuses on Kenya, Tanzania, and the Zanzibar Archipelago, a region recognized for its exceptional coral reef ecosystems that have shown unique resilience to rising ocean temperatures. This conservation financing model is supported by the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR), a United Nations-led coalition established in 2020 to fill the critical funding gap facing coral reef ecosystems around the world.
As highlighted in a recent episode of the WCS Wild Audio Podcast, WCS experts Fahd Al-Guthmy, Programme Director (Conservation Finance), and Ray Victurine, Director of Business and Conservation, emphasized the growing urgency of diversifying funding strategies for reef conservation. They stressed that current conservation funding is insufficient to address the threats facing coral reefs, highlighting the need to close the funding gap to protect resilient reef systems.
“Miamba Yetu is Swahili for ‘Our Reefs,’ and the focus is on trying to protect those reefs. It’s also looking at something that’s called blended finance—that is, not only trying to bring in money from grants, from typical donors, but also to use that money in a way to attract funding from the private sector,” said Victurine.
A key focus of the programme is the Trans-Boundary Conservation Area (TBCA)—a proposed marine protected zone spanning southern Kenya and northern Tanzania.
“This area is a climate refuge,” Al-Guthmy explained. “It sits on a continental shelf with shallow coral systems adjacent to a deep-sea drop-off, allowing for cooler upwellings that reduce the impacts of climate change. These systems host seagrass beds, mangrove forests, and vibrant biodiversity.”
To attract private capital into sustainable reef-positive businesses, Miamba Yetu offers highly competitive incentives. The programme provides technical assistance and security-free debt instruments with interest rates that are far more attractive than the conventional market.
“When businesses are asked to become more sustainable, their first concern is cost and effort. Our model offers a better alternative to conventional loans, security-free debt with competitive interest rates. Plus, we provide hands-on technical support to help them become reef positive. we don’t just finance them; we walk with them through that journey,” said Al-Guthmy.
The initiative is already identifying and nurturing a pipeline of promising projects for investment. One such project is a waste-to-value treatment plant that transforms human waste into fuel briquettes, reducing illegal dumping near marine protected areas and providing sustainable energy alternatives to charcoal.
Another project is on wastewater pollution assessments in Malindi and Watamu areas along the Kenya coast, to gather critical data on the impact of human waste on coral reef systems done in collaboration with Sanivation Kenya, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), and Pwani University. These insights will guide conservation action and policy development within the TBCA.
The programme invests in and provides technical assistance support to businesses addressing coral reef loss through sustainable fishing, community livelihoods, ecotourism and waste management for lasting marine conservation.
With nearly 90% of the world’s coral reefs at risk of collapse by 2050 due to human activity—and considering that these ecosystems support nearly 25% of all marine life and the livelihoods of over one billion people globally, Miamba Yetu offers a unique, scalable solution to protect resilient reef systems while empowering the coastal communities that depend on them.