Nuwahereza Nelson, is Ph.D. candidate at the Centre for Environmental Management and Control, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He is the recipient of Homegrown Clean Energy (HCE) Solutions Intra-Africa Mobility Scholarship. His research focuses on Household cooking decarbonization and energy security, particularly exploring adoption of clean cooking bioenergy technologies and wasteland potential for bioenergy crop production and their potential contributions to national climate goals. His academic foundation includes a Master’s degree in Forestry and Biodiversity Management and a Bachelor’s degree in Conservation Forestry and Production Technology, both obtained from Makerere University. He has also earned certifications from the UN REDD+ Academy and a collaborative program in Plant Conservation conducted by Oslo University and Makerere University.
Nelosn has over nine years of professional experience in forestry governance, REDD+ and carbon market. Before, going back to school Nelson worked as a Forest Officer at Uganda’s Ministry of Water and Environment, in forestry sector support department where he has been an integral part of the National REDD+ Secretariat since August 2021. In this capacity, he has engaged with stakeholders in REDD+ projects, contributed to the development of subnational REDD+ idea notes, and assessed project proposals. His efforts have extended to monitoring safeguards compliance and playing a pivotal role in registering Uganda’s REDD+ program under ART-TREES, with a focus on safeguards monitoring and reporting. In 2023, Nelson co-coordinated the development of Uganda’s International Carbon Market Regulations and Implementation Guidelines mainly through soliciting REDD+ stakeholders’ input. He also participated in ecosystem based adaption and forest landscape restoration projects development and implementation, forestry sector policy and regulation formulation and reviews and collaborative forest management monitoring in Uganda. Beyond his work with government of Uganda, Nelson founded and served as Executive Director of the Safe Space Network from March 2019 to October 2024. Under his leadership, the organization empowered youth and local communities to champion sustainable and inclusive development. His advocacy extended to politics, where he contested as a parliamentary candidate for Ruhinda North Constituency in the 2021 Uganda elections. Earlier in his career, he served as Program Manager for Universal Love Alliance, writing grants proposals and overseeing educational workshops on human rights.