Dr. Mbatu is Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Policy in the School of Geosciences at the University of South Florida. Dr. Mbatus research focuses on the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) program, the role that forests, and other vegetation types play in the fight against global warming and climate change. He emphasizes scientific, socio-economic, technical, and methodological issues of implementing the REDD+ program in communities. His current work engages vulnerable and diverse communities along the lower Hillsborough River in Tampa, Florida, toward the design of nature-based solutions (NBS) to improve resilience to climate change against sea-level rise and storm impact. Currently a Fulbright scholar in Eswatini (Swaziland), Dr. Mbatu is teaching a course, Climate Change and the Environment at the University of Eswatini, and conducting research on climate change adaptation in the country. Dr. Mbatus research in Eswatini aims to examine rural adaptation and resilience to climate change to foster an understanding of the nexus of food, energy, and water security. Dr. Mbatu has over 15 years of community-engaged climate change-related research experience.