James Gitundu Kairo, obtained both Bsc in Biology and Msc in Plant Ecology (1995) at the University of Nairobi and PhD at the University of Brussels on ecology and restoration of mangrove systems. He has vast working experience on the conservation, rehabilitation and sustainable utilization of mangrove resources, which has earned him two major awards. In 2002 he won the International Cooperation Prize awarded by the Belgian Government in recognition of his work on cooperation and sustainable development. In 2005 the Alcoa Foundation awarded him the WWF-Practitioner Fellow.
Over the last ten years, James has contributed immensely to new knowledge on ecology and restoration of mangrove systems in the WIO region by produced more than 20 peer-reviewed publications. It is through this work that he have been invited to transfer mangrove reforestation and management technologies to several other countries in the region, including; Mozambique, Egypt, and Tanzania. Furthermore, through his efforts, more than 200ha of mangrove have been reforested with suitable species in Kenya. Over the years, he has supervised several MSc and PhD students.
