Community Based Environmental Conservation (COBEC)

Community Based Environmental Conservation (COBEC) was established in 2009 in response to the increasing threats facing Kenya's coastal and marine ecosystems. COBEC was founded on the conviction that lasting conservation can only be achieved when local communities are empowered and actively involved in the stewardship of their natural resources, and has grown into a trusted community organization that promotes grassroots environmental action, emphasizing sustainability, inclusivity, and local leadership. Since its founding, COBEC has united coastal communities to safeguard marine ecosystems, restore habitats, and protect endangered sea turtles. The organization adopts a bottom-up, community-led approach grounded in participation, voluntarism, and local empowerment, placing the people who bear the costs of conservation at the center of decision-making.