Nested Institutions and Overlapping Mandates: A Policy Analysis of Mangrove Governance in Ghana, Tanzania Mainland, and Zanzibar

Mangroves are critical resources in sustaining coastal communities by providing essential ecosystem goods and services. Occurring within the interface of land and sea, they serve as critical ecological zones shaped by dynamic interactions between terrestrial and marine systems. Using qualitative policy analysis of legal instruments, policy documents, and peer-reviewed literature, the study investigates how nested governance arrangements influence mangrove management. The findings show that mangrove governance across the three contexts takes hybrid forms shaped by historical trajectories and legal pluralism. Although participatory mechanisms such as CREMAs in Ghana, Joint Forest Management in Tanzania Mainland, and Community Forest Management Agreements in Zanzibar formally recognise community involvement, authority remains unevenly distributed due to fragmented institutional mandates and unclear tenure arrangements. As a result, mangrove governance is constrained by overlapping institutional responsibilities and weak enforcement. These findings suggest that reforms should prioritise integrated land–seascape approaches, stronger coordination across sectors, and greater statutory support for local institutions to sustain mangrove ecosystems.

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