Application deadline

Type of course

Admission requirements

Generell studiekompetanse

Application code 9199

Course content

The course will deal with climate change adaptation with a focus on regional/local contexts in Norway/Nordic countries but having also a global and holistic perspective on climate change. Climate change adaptation will be approached within the study program dealing with Societal Safety and Security, and the connections of climate change adaptation to this academic and professional area will be made clear.   

In particular, the course consists of four modules:  

1) The rise of the climate change discourse  

• Historical review 
• The actors in climate change 
  • international/transnational, national, local 
  • private actors, the businesses, industrial sectors 
  • NGOs, civil society 
  • households, individuals 

• Climate change science, models, and forecasts 
• Policies: climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation 

2) Climate change adaptation and its challenges 

• Climate change governance and financing 
• Climate change strategies 
• Risk assessment, risk management, resilience, crisis management  
• Barriers to climate change adaptation 
• Unintended consequences of climate change adaptation/maladaptation

3) Climate change-induced hazards, including their cascading effects (with a focus on Norway/Nordic      countries) 

• Atmospheric-related hazards 
• Hydrological hazards 
• Permafrost and avalanches 
• Sea level rise 

4) Climate change-induced hazards cascading effects, with a focus on Norway/Nordic countries 

• Vital societal functions/critical infrastructure sectors (administration, energy, water, transport, rescue services, health, etc.) 

Objectives of the course

Knowledge:  

The student ...

• has broad knowledge in understanding the science behind climate change, including the main theories, methodologies, models, and forecasts associated with it. 
• has knowledge about the societal impacts of climate change and the respective mitigation and adaption policies, with a special focus on the main actors and their respective interrelations in key sectors.  
• is familiar with the concept of climate change adaptation, its theories and methodologies, its governance system, and its strategies. 
• Is familiar with the variety of implementation tools and approaches, such as risk and resilience management, used in climate change adaptation. 
• can apply and update knowledge to analyze the regional and local consequences of climate change in different sectors, fields, and contexts.  
• has knowledge about the respective research problems highlighted in the respective literature, from historical and comparative perspective. 

Skills:  

The student ...

• can apply academic knowledge to manage, under supervision, regional/local -level climate change adaptation, such as writing a regional or municipal climate change adaptation strategy and plan.  
• can reflect upon the academic knowledge of regional/local climate change adaptation and adjust it, under supervision, according to concrete needs and circumstances. 
• can find, evaluate, and refer to relevant climate change adaptation information and present it in a manner that sheds light on the practical problems at hand. 
• master's relevant scholarly approaches, tools, techniques applicable to climate change adaptation in regional/local contexts, such as risk or resilience management, to implement a climate change adaptation strategy, as well as communicate it efficiently to and among relevant stakeholders.  

General competence:  

The student ...

• has an ability to utilise knowledge and skills in an independent manner in different situations. 
• has insight into relevant academic and professional ethical issues related to climate change and climate change adaptation.  
• can plan and carry out varied climate change adaptation assignments and projects over time, alone or as part of a group, and in accordance with ethical requirements and principles. 
• can communicate important climate change adaptation-related academic subject matters such as theories, problems, and solutions, both in writing and orally, as well as through other relevant forms of communication. 
• is familiar with newest thinking and innovation processes within the field of climate change adaptation.  

Language of instruction and examination

Teaching methods

The course is organized in three different blocks throughout the semester. Each teaching block takes place in a separate week.

• 33 hours of lectures 
• Teamwork 
• Individual paper 
• Syllabus with obligatory readings outside of classroom time  
• Interaction during lectures, via in-class assignments, group work, presentations, in addition to other activities  

Recommended reading/syllabus