Icu Alumnus Blutus Mbambi Advances Carbon Market Research And Global Climate Action

Colombia, South America - September 18, 2025

Mr. Blutus Mbambi, a proud alumnus of the Information and Communications University (ICU), has successfully graduated from the one-year Research Mentorship Program (RMP).

The journey, which began in December 2024, concluded this week with a five-day closing workshop and poster presentations in Colombia, where Mr. Mbambi presented his research titled:

“Modeling Emissions Reductions and Financial Viability of Reforestation in Rufunsa District’s Miombo Woodlands through Article 6 Carbon Markets.”

Mr. Mbambi’s research found that active reforestation sequesters 127 tCO₂/ha over 30 years, nearly three times more than natural regeneration at 45 tCO₂/ha, with Rufunsa District alone capable of delivering 2.8 million tCO₂e reductions. Financial modeling showed the project’s break-even point at $15–20/tCO₂e, while at $50/tCO₂e, the Net Present Value (NPV) reaches $2,847/ha. Scaling this effort to restore Zambia’s 15 million hectares of degraded Miombo could contribute 25–40% of the country’s NDC targets and unlock up to $800 million annually in carbon revenues. On the social dimension, the study revealed that 78% of households are willing to participate in reforestation, 89% expressed interest in receiving training, though 43% raised concerns over fairness in benefit-sharing arrangements.

Mr. Mbambi concluded that reforestation in Rufunsa is not only environmentally sound but also economically viable and socially inclusive—if backed by strong MRV systems, transparent benefit-sharing, and robust governance aligned with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

He added: “Deeply grateful to my supervisor, Mr. Danny Musenge for supervising this work titled ‘Modeling Emissions Reductions and Financial Viability of Reforestation in Rufunsa District’s Miombo Woodlands through Article 6 Carbon Markets’ under the UN-supported program, the University of Information and Communication University, my mentors, colleagues, and the RMP team for this transformative journey.”

Mr. Mbambi is currently pursuing an International Master’s in Conservation Biology at the Université Marie et Louis Pasteur in France, under sponsorship from the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). He is expected to graduate in December 2025.