Climate change and resilient societies

This is a mandatory course of the master’s degree "Contemporary Issues in Risk and Crisis Management". The course can be taken as a single course by all students.

This course provides knowledge about climate change as a societal threat and how societies can adapt. Built around the concept of resilient societies, this course centers on the role of natural hazards management, critical infrastructure and the link between mitigation and adaptation in the context of a changing climate. Taking a global perspective, the course aligns with the 2015 Paris Agreement and its focus on loss and damage in the context of climate change, including critical perspectives on climate change adaptation projects.

The eligible student must hold a bachelor’s degree from a relevant field of study. Prior knowledge of societal security, risk management, safety management, international relations, crisis management and emergency preparedness are recommended but not required.

Application code: 9371

Knowledge:

The student ...

• shall understand the science of climate change at a basic level.
• account for overlaps and differences between disaster risk reduction (DRR) and CCA
• contextualize the work of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
• contrast central principles of CCA
• understand the connection between local, national, regional and global-level CCA
• appreciate how climate change interferes with natural hazard risks
• understand CCA funding frameworks

Skills:

The student ...

• shall be able to apply central theories of CCA to a concrete case
• discuss the relationship between DRR and CCA
• critically reflect on the nature and politics of CCA funding
• account for the way that climate change may affect the dynamics of key natural hazards
• reflect on the way that climate change may shape societal vulnerabilities
• reflect on the ways in which actors at different levels engage in CCA work

General competence:

The student ...

• shall understand the fundamentals of climate change science
• write up a case report applying aspects of CCA work to a particular case
• contextualize CCA work across levels
• place CCA funding and global frameworks within a wider geopolitical context

Teaching methods include pre-recorded video lectures, podcasts, mandatory and optional reading material, live interactive live sessions online, and mandatory coursework assignments, approximately 28 hours of instruction.

The course is organized as module-based online learning, consisting of three separate modules that must be completed in succession:

Module 1: Science and politics of climate change

Module 2: Conceptual issues in climate change adaptation

Module 3: Building resilient societies

Coursework requires active engagement with lecture and reading material.

Language of instruction and examination

Schedule

More info about the coursework requirements

More info about the assignment

There will be three examinations for this course.

• Module exam 1: Individual written assignment (20%)
• Module exam 2: Individual written assignment (20%)
• Off Campus Exam (60%)

Re-sit examination

Which parts of the exam must be taken during a new ordinary exam attempt?