This course provides an introduction to the principles and practices of understanding, assessing, and acting on the impacts and risks of climate change. Understanding climate impacts and the risks that result from them is a fundamental part of climate change adaptation and can take a number of different forms. An assessment of climate impacts and risks should result in a nuanced understanding of the plausible futures that could unfold, the impacts and risks these could bring, enable risk prioritization, and/or build the capacities needed to advance climate adaptation.
Climate impact, risk, vulnerability and capacity assessments are systematic, evidence-based tools that allow for the prioritization of action, either to prepare for impacts, reduce risks, reduce vulnerability, or increase capacity. The learning in this course is built on using examples and practice to enable you both to understand and evaluate the assessments carried out by others, conduct your own assessments, and initiate action on these assessments.
The course will begin by developing an appreciation for the context within which assessments of climate change are carried out: The role of multiple, equally valid perspectives and worldviews, and in particular the importance of considering reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, the imperative for participation and collaboration, and the need to define both audiences and process in inclusive and culturally sensitive ways.
The course will then introduce examples of climate impact, risk, vulnerability and capacity assessments to develop an understanding of the differences and similarities among these approaches. In so doing we will introduce the relationship between climate adaptation, social vulnerability, and disaster risk reduction.
You will apply your learning in a team-based assessment of your choice through the second half of the course. Here, you will have the opportunity to explore audiences, process, and content in critical ways, gather feedback from peers and instructors, and develop insights best learned through practice.
Part of this course will include reflexive practice to leverage additional learning about your own understanding of climate and its impacts, your assumptions, and working collaboratively with others. The instructors will support you in your learning, as will the university’s team coaches.
Stay Connected
- To each other via the course blog and your own WordPress blogs – be sure to set up your Feedly (more info to come). You will need to add the OPML files to your Feedly for each course.
- #RRUMACAL on twitter;
- Instructor email addresses can be found in Moodle, non-students are welcome to use the Contact Form.