Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals
Overview
This course has been designed to help professionals working across multiple disciplines bring a climate change adaptation lens to their current and future projects.
Introduction and Welcome
Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals
| "Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals – Introduction and Welcome" by Stewart Cohen, Climate Change Fundamentals , Adaptation Learning Network is licensed under CC BY 4.0 except where indicated. For external links to resources, review the rights and permission details. |
Introduction and Welcome
Welcome to this 4-week course, Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals. My name is Dr. Stewart Cohen and I'll be facilitating the course using videos, discussion forums, and other learning activities each week/module.
This course has been designed to help professionals working across multiple disciplines bring a climate change adaptation lens to their current and future projects. It’s structured in four modules, that cover:
- what the current climate change situation is, including the latest science and scenarios;
- why climate change matters to professionals and planners, in terms of risk and impact;
- what we can do about it, through examples and methods of adaptation, and;
- how to bring adaptation tools, data and processes into your work, with a practice project.
At the end of the course, participants will understand basic climate change science and scenarios, and be able to identify the data and tools required to plan an adaptation project.
Each module includes one or more video-lectures and discussion forums that are designed to prompt reflection and integration of core concepts. The final module involves learners in a capstone activity designed to support the application of the learning to a real-world, learner-relevant case example. Each module also contains resources (e.g., relevant reports, video links).
Although you are not required to engage in the learning activities at any specific time, it is recommended that you complete the activities for each module within that week in order to maximize learning and provide opportunities for meaningful discussion with the instructor and your fellow learners.
Throughout this course we will also be listening to portions of the CBC Podcast 2050: Degrees of Change. This podcast features Johanna Wagstaffe, a Vancouver based meteorologist. It provides a portrait of BC in the year 2050 based on current climate change science projections. The podcast blends evidence-informed perspectives on climate change and climate adaptation with a fictional account of a young girl, Ariadne, as she navigates a climate changed world. Though we provide links to specific clips of interest, you may find it worthwhile to listen to the entire, 7-part series, which you can access here.
We will start here by listening to this excerpt of the CBC Podcast 2050: Degrees of Change News Montage. Stop listening at 1:44 and return to this screen.
The course is guided by myself, Dr. Stewart Cohen, and story strategist Denise Withers. In the following video, we introduce ourselves and provide an overview of the course.
http://admin.video.ubc.ca/tiny/lr1wj Video attribution: "Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals - Module 1 introduction to module 1" by Stewart Cohen, Climate Change Fundamentals, Adaptation Learning Network is licensed under CC BY 4.0. The images used in the slides in the video are not CC BY. |
Doctor Climate Change Blog
https://doctorclimatechange.com/
Readings & Resources
This page is a compilation of all of the course readings and resources used in all Modules.
Glossary of Key Terms from 2014 IPCC 5th Assessment Report, Working Group II
The Canadian Institute for Climate Choices
Executive Summary of Canada's Changing Climate Report (2019)
Full report (includes link to individual chapters)
Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium (PCIC) is our regional climate service centre. PCIC conducts quantitative studies on the impacts of climate change and climate variability in the Pacific and Yukon region, providing regional climate information for planning.
The BC Government's Resources for Preparing and Adapting to Climate Change is a great resource for existing tools, climate change health facts, the recent BC Climate Risk Assessment, which we discuss in Module 3.
You may also want to dive into Canada's interactive Climate Atlas, where you can explore how various aspects of climate change are playing out in different regions of Canada and explore maps, graphs and climatedata for provinces, local regions and cities across the country.
The Canadian Centre for Climate Services is another resource for climate resources, climate change concepts and trends, climate data, and has a climate-service support desk if you have further questions.
Abbott and Chapman – sections on the 2017 wildfire
Canada’s Changing Climate Report – Executive Summary
Canada’s Changing Climate Report – Chapter 8
IPCC 5th Assessment, Working Group II, Summary for Policymakers (SPM)
Council of Canadian Academies, Canada’s Top Climate Change Risks – method and summary of results
BC Government, Preliminary Strategic Climate Risk Assessment for British Columbia – method and summary of results
Cohen, S. J. (2010). From observer to extension agent – using research experiences to enable proactive responses to climate change. Climate change, 100(1), 131-135.
Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction A global, non-binding agreement followed by 187 countries that focuses on best practices for disaster risk reduction and resilience building.
Climate preparedness and adaptation strategy
BC Climate Risk Assessment (scheduled to be released in late 2020)
Tools (these are technical resources, so just focus on the overall framing and application)
Adaptation examples in British Columbia
Qualicum Beach Waterfront Plan
Vancouver Climate Change Adaptation Strategy
Adaptation / Mitigation links
IPCC 5th Assessment Report, Working Group II, Chapter 2 (focus on Section 2.5.1 – Assessing synergies and trade-offs with mitigation, including Figure 2-4)
| "Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals – Introduction and Welcome" by Stewart Cohen, Climate Change Fundamentals , Adaptation Learning Network is licensed under CC BY 4.0 except where indicated. For external links to resources, review the rights and permission details. |
Module 1- What's the Problem?
Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals
Module 1 – What’s the Problem? Course Content
"Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals - Module 1" by Stewart Cohen, Climate Change Fundamentals , Adaptation Learning Network is licensed under CC BY 4.0 except where indicated. For external links to resources, review the rights and permission details.
Module 1 Learning Goals
This Module will help you:
- Understand the evidence for our knowledge of historic climate trends for Canada
- Explore scenario-based projections of future climate change for Canada
- Become aware of the range of climate services available in Canada
- Consider examples of how climate change affects water resources, snow and ice cover, and oceans along Canada’s coastlines
Readings and Resources
Canada’s Changing Climate Report
Read the Executive Summary, and refer to the full report in case you would like to go into greater depth on particular topics.
Executive Summary of Canada's Changing Climate Report (2019)
Full report (includes link to individual chapters)
Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium (PCIC) is our regional climate service centre. PCIC conducts quantitative studies on the impacts of climate change and climate variability in the Pacific and Yukon region, providing regional climate information for planning.
The BC Government's Resources for Preparing and Adapting to Climate Change is a great resource for existing tools, climate change health facts, the recent BC Climate Risk Assessment, which we discuss in Module 2.
You may also want to dive into Canada's interactive Climate Atlas, where you can explore how various aspects of climate change are playing out in different regions of Canada and explore maps, graphs and climate data for provinces, local regions and cities across the country.
The Canadian Centre for Climate Services is another resource for climate resources, climate change concepts and trends, climate data, and has a climate-service support desk if you have further questions.
Module 1 Overview
Let's get started. Module 1 consists of 3 sub-modules that cover the following topics:
- Core concepts of climate science
- Global context
- Greenhouse effect, global trend on GHG concentrations, global temperature trend
- Difference between weather, natural climate variability, climate change
- Weather, natural climate variability, & climate change each represent different time scales, from immediate short-term days and weeks, to years, to multiple decades
- BC trends and scenarios
- Using climate change information in applications
- Sources of climate and climate change information
- Importance of tracking changes in water, snow and ice
Module 1.1: Climate trends
Module 1.1 begins with a video-lecture on climate trends where Denise and I explore some of the fundamental concepts of climate science and an overview of how climate change is impacting Canada.
http://admin.video.ubc.ca/tiny/xmtm5
Video attribution: "Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals - Module 1 video 1.1" by Stewart Cohen, Climate Change Fundamentals, Adaptation Learning Network is licensed under CC BY 4.0. The images used in the slides in the video are not CC BY.
By the end of this module, you will be able to identify and understand the core climate science concepts, including the differences between adaptation and mitigation and how they overlap, the difference between weather and climate, and some of the current trends in what we are seeing, globally and regionally.
From the CBC podcast, here is an audio clip which features Trevor Murdock, a climate scientist with the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium in Victoria, BC. In this clip, Trevor describes how climate change is affecting BC. The clips starts at 05:00 Stop listening at 9:55 and return to this screen.
Module 1.2: Climate change scenarios
This next video lecture focuses on climate modelling and change scenarios. As with Module 1.1, view the video lecture below.
http://admin.video.ubc.ca/tiny/i2gy0 Video attribution: "Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals - Module 1 video 1.2" by Stewart Cohen, Climate Change Fundamentals, Adaptation Learning Network is licensed under CC BY 4.0. The images used in the slides in the video are not CC BY. |
Now Listen to the following excerpt from the CBC podcast 2050: Degrees of Change. Johanna Wagstaffe, Prof. Simon Donner, UBC, and Trevor Murdock, PCIC, on greenhouse gasses affecting the climate: (14:53) Stop listening at 17:10 and return to this screen.
Module 1.3: Climate change information for applications
This module provides an overview of climate services available in Canada, and examples of applications of climate change scenario information. Highlights from the 2019 federal government publication, Canada’s Changing Climate Report, are also presented.
Start by watching the video lecture:
http://admin.video.ubc.ca/tiny/ui9my Video attribution: "Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals - Module 1 video 1.3" by Stewart Cohen, Climate Change Fundamentals, Adaptation Learning Network is licensed under CC BY 4.0. The images used in the slides in the video are not CC BY. |
After watching the video, listen to the following excerpts from the CBC podcast 2050: Degrees of Change.
- Johanna Wagstaffe and Prof. Stéphane Dery, UNBC, on precipitation and streamflow in the Fraser River Basin: (05:50) Stop listening at 8:14 and return to this page.
- Johanna Wagstaffe and Prof. Brian Menounous, UNBC, on glaciers: (19:02) Stop listening at 22:49 and return to this page.
Module 1 Summary: Take Home Messages
This last video of Module 1 provides a high level summary of the key take home messages from this module.
http://admin.video.ubc.ca/tiny/ui9my Video attribution: "Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals - Module 1 video module 1 summary" by Stewart Cohen, Climate Change Fundamentals, Adaptation Learning Network is licensed under CC BY 4.0. The images used in the slides in the video are not CC BY. |
Before moving on to Module 2, we invite you to consider the implications of human-caused climate change to you in both your professional and personal lives. How would a rapidly warming climate affect your vision of your future, or the work that you currently do? How might it affect the future of your community?
If you are interested in more information on the basics of climate change and related tools and resources, we recommend exploring the following links:
Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium (PCIC) is our regional climate service centre. PCIC conducts quantitative studies on the impacts of climate change and climate variability in the Pacific and Yukon region, providing regional climate information for planning.
The BC Government's Resources for Preparing and Adapting to Climate Change is a great resource for existing tools, climate change health facts, the recent BC Climate Risk Assessment, which we discuss in Module 3.
You may also want to dive into Canada's interactive Climate Atlas, where you can explore how various aspects of climate change are playing out in different regions of Canada and explore maps, graphs and climate data for provinces, local regions and cities across the country.
And finally, the Canadian Centre for Climate Services is another resource for climate resources, climate change concepts and trends, climate data, and has a climate-service support desk if you have further questions.
| "Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals - Module 1" by Stewart Cohen, Climate Change Fundamentals , Adaptation Learning Network is licensed under CC BY 4.0 except where indicated. For external links to resources, review the rights and permission details. |
Module 2 - What's at stake?
Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals
"Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals - Module 2" by Stewart Cohen, Climate Change Fundamentals , Adaptation Learning Network is licensed under CC BY 4.0 except where indicated. For external links to resources, review the rights and permission details.
Module 2 - What's at stake?
Welcome to Module 2. The focus of this module is on the projected risks of future climate change scenarios, including examples of how they have been determined. You will have the opportunity to listen to additional clips from CBC’s 2050: Degrees of Change podcasts, and to hear from Dr. Johanna Wolf, Senior Policy Analyst with the BC Climate Action Secretariat. Dr. Wolf led the Preliminary Strategic Climate Risk Assessment for British Columbia.
Module 2 Learning Goals
This Module will help you:
- Understand the outcomes of the review of the 2017 wildfire season in British Columbia
- Consider examples of expert judgement of climate change risk for Canada, and for British Columbia, including ratings of likelihood, consequence, and adaptation potential
- Explore aspects of the climate change information supply chain
Readings and Resources
Read sections from the following:
Abbott and Chapman – sections on the 2017 wildfire
Canada’s Changing Climate Report – Executive Summary
Canada’s Changing Climate Report – Chapter 8
IPCC 5th Assessment, Working Group II, Summary for Policymakers (SPM)
Council of Canadian Academies, Canada’s Top Climate Change Risks – method and summary of results
BC Government, Preliminary Strategic Climate Risk Assessment for British Columbia – method and summary of results
Cohen, From observer to extension agent – using research experiences to enable proactive responses to climate change <paywalled journal>
Module 2 Overview
Let's get started. Module 2 consists of 5 sub-modules that cover the following topics:
- The 2017 wildfire season in British Columbia; impacts and response
- Framing of risk in the context of climate change
- The role of expert judgement in assessing climate change risk
- Climate change risk assessment for Canada, including ratings of adaptation potential
- Climate change risk assessment for British Columbia
- The climate change information supply chain, and the role of practitioners within it
Module 2.0: Wildfires
With Module 2 we move from understanding the basic concepts of climate science, to exploring what climate change means to us in terms of risks and impacts - what is at stake. Let's begin with this video lecture: http://admin.video.ubc.ca/tiny/irxa3
Video attribution: "Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals - Module 2 wildfires" by Stewart Cohen, Climate Change Fundamentals, Adaptation Learning Network is licensed under CC BY 4.0. The images used in the slides in the video are not CC BY.
The climate risks and impacts we face change from geographic region to region, and climate adaptation requires understanding these regional impacts and shaping adaptation measures to those specific impacts and contexts. One of the climate risks we face in BC is an increase in the length of the wildfire season and the severity and frequency of wildfire events. In this clip from the CBC podcast 2050: Degrees of Change, forest fire ecologist Robert Gray discusses the impacts of climate change on BC's forests
- 0300 Stop listening at 7:09 and return to this screen.
Module 2.1: Understanding risk and impact
Wildfire risks are only one of the risks we face in a climate changed future. In this next video lecture, we explore why it is important for professionals thinking about adaptation to understand how climate change is resulting in changing climate statistics, and the influence of those changes on the assessment of future climate risks and their impacts.
http://admin.video.ubc.ca/tiny/0ohlf
Video attribution: "Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals - Module 2.1 risk framing" by Stewart Cohen, Climate Change Fundamentals, Adaptation Learning Network is licensed under CC BY 4.0. The images used in the slides in the video are not CC BY.
To do this, we return to the global environment to explore the trends in weather and climate catastrophes and the projected changes in climate extremes based on low and high emission scenarios. We will explore climate change scenarios for BC, and some of the findings from the recent climate risk assessment for our province.
With climate change comes the need to focus attention not only on understanding and planning for individual risks, such as wildfires, but also on compound risks -- where two or more events can co-occur and interact. In this way, climate change is influencing not only the nature of the risks we face, but also how practitioners will need to adapt their planning and decision making to account for compound and complex scenarios involving multiple environmental and social factors and uncertainty:
Module 2.2: Canada's top climate change risks
Building on the base of Module 2.1, we now explore in greater depth some of Canada's top projected climate change risks and what this means for potential climate adaptation.
Let’s start by listening to the following video lecture:
http://admin.video.ubc.ca/tiny/mqt40
Video attribution: "Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals - Module 2.2 Canada climate" by Stewart Cohen, Climate Change Fundamentals, Adaptation Learning Network is licensed under CC BY 4.0. The images used in the slides in the video are not CC BY.
(Those interested in learning more about these risks, can click on this link to the full Canadian Council of Academies Canada's Top Climate Change Risk report.)
Looking forward to Module 2.3, where we will be looking at climate change risks in BC, listen to this brief interview with Dr. Johanna Wolf from the BC Climate Adaptation Secretariat, as she describes to CBC Kamloops Daybreak host, Shelley Joyce, some of the key findings of the recently published BC Strategic Climate Risk Assessment.
Module 2.3: BC's top climate change risks
http://admin.video.ubc.ca/tiny/rvp3x
Video attribution: "Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals - Module 2.3 BC climate" by Stewart Cohen, Climate Change Fundamentals, Adaptation Learning Network is licensed under CC BY 4.0. The images used in the slides in the video are not CC BY.
Building from Dr. Wolf's overview of the Strategic Climate Risk Assessment for British Columbia, we take a deeper dive into that report and its implications for the province:
The risk profile this report provides is important but it is still very conceptual. What do these risks mean on the ground? To explore and humanize these risks we return to the CBC podcast 2050: Degrees of Change.
In this clip we hear from Emily McNair, part of the Climate Action Initiative working with farmers in BC to plan for climate changes, and Lydia Real, whose farm sits on Westham Island in the Fraser River Delta. Her farm is threatened by sea level rise the increasing risk of what is known as a salt wedge, or the influx of salt water into the fresh water she uses for irrigation:
● 5:11Stop listening at 7:45 and return to this screen.
Module 2.4: Climate change information supply chain
So the risks we face in the changing climate are diverse, complex and characterized by uncertainty. In the face of this complexity, knowledge translation and knowledge sharing between climate scientists - the producers of climate information - and professionals such as yourselves - the consumers of climate information - is critical.
In Module 1, we explored some examples of the kinds of information being shared by two of Canada's key climate knowledge producers - the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium or PCIC for short, and the Quebec-based Ouranos. Here in Module 2.4, we shall consider the "supply chain" of climate change information, and the role of practitioners within it:
http://admin.video.ubc.ca/tiny/7muas
Video attribution: "Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals - Module 2.4 information supply chain " by Stewart Cohen, Climate Change Fundamentals, Adaptation Learning Network is licensed under CC BY 4.0. The images used in the slides in the video are not CC BY.
"Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals - Module 2" by Stewart Cohen, Climate Change Fundamentals , Adaptation Learning Network is licensed under CC BY 4.0 except where indicated. For external links to resources, review the rights and permission details.
Module 3 - What can we do?
Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals
"Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals - Module 3" by Stewart Cohen, Climate Change Fundamentals , Adaptation Learning Network is licensed under CC BY 4.0 except where indicated. For external links to resources, review the rights and permission details.
Module 3 - What can we do?
Welcome to Module 3. Here, we consider how planned adaptation to future climate change differs from adapting on the basis of past experience. Several adaptation cases from various communities in British Columbia are described. We will also consider the climate change information supply chain, and the role of practitioners within it.
Module 3 Learning Goals
This Module will help you:
- Understand global-scale climate change risks, and why they matter
- Explore some tools that can enable practitioners to assess and plan for flood and wildfire risks
- Consider examples of proactive adaptation being planned or implemented in British Columbia
- Understand potential synergies and trade-offs between climate change adaptation and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions
Readings and Resources
Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction A global, non-binding agreement followed by 187 countries that focuses on best practices for disaster risk reduction and resilience building.
Climate preparedness and adaptation strategy
BC Climate Risk Assessment (scheduled to be released in late 2020)
Tools (these are technical resources, so just focus on the overall framing and application)
Adaptation examples in British Columbia
Qualicum Beach Waterfront Plan
Vancouver Climate Change Adaptation Strategy
Adaptation / Mitigation links
IPCC 5th Assessment Report, Working Group II, Chapter 2 (focus on Section 2.5.1 – Assessing synergies and trade-offs with mitigation, including Figure 2-4)
Module 3 Course Content
Module 3: Overview
In the previous modules we have explored some of the ways in which climate change is affecting us regionally, including identifying and discussing some of the climate risks we face here in BC. In this module, we now move on to explore what we can do about those risks.
Topics covered include:
- Links between Disaster Risk Reduction and climate change adaptation
- examples of tools for assessing climate change risk to support adaptation planning
- examples of ongoing adaptation activities in British Columbia
- links between adaptation and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions
Module 3.1: What can we do?
Having explored the profile of risks we face here in BC and in Canada, it is now time to focus on what we can do about those risks. Reducing the risks of catastrophic climate related events and disasters is a priority not only for those focusing on climate adaptation, but also for professionals working in emergency management. In fact, there are many overlaps between disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA). Both focus on reducing risks and associated vulnerabilities, and increasing resilience. Just as our emissions reduction goals are being shaped by climate science and the Paris Agreement, our disaster risk reduction goals in Canada are being guided by the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction - a global, non-binding agreement signed by 187 countries that focuses on best practices for disaster risk reduction (DRR) and resilience building.
In this first video, we hear from Dr. Matt Godsoe, Director with Public Safety Canada, the federal agency responsible for emergency and disaster management. Dr. Godsoe shares his research on the current and future state of disaster risk reduction in Canada and what the current trends suggest about the future human, economic and environmental costs of disasters and and our capacity for resilience:
http://admin.video.ubc.ca/tiny/lv1sq
Video attribution: "Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals - Module 3.1 adaptation" by Stewart Cohen, Climate Change Fundamentals, Adaptation Learning Network is licensed under CC BY 4.0. The images used in the slides in the video are not CC BY.
The provincial government is currently revising the Emergency Management Act, to better reflect the DRR goals of the Sendai Framework's and support a more fulsome integration and consideration of indigenous knowledge and rights, and climate change.
At the same time, the province is also crafting a new climate preparedness and adaptation strategy to better reflect the climate risks identified in the BC Climate Risk Assessment discussed in Module 2. These separate but related initiatives highlight the need for coordinated planning and cross sector collaboration. In the following video lecture we will explore some of the challenges and opportunities for such planning, including some examples currently underway in British Columbia.
Now let's return to the CBC podcast 2050: Degrees of Change to get a sense of the range of adaptation already underway in BC. We begin with a clip featuring Doug Smith, the City of Vancouver's Director of Sustainability talking about the Olympic Village neighbourhood in Vancouver, and the implications of sea level rise for that neighbourhood and the city more generally:
5:15 Stop listening at 5:57 and return to this screen.
The next clip features John Vanderden, a Vancouver based engineer discussing dyke adaptations along the Fraser River as another approach to adapting to sea level rise:
20:30 Stop listening at 23:57 and return to this screen.
The final podcast clip features forest-fire ecologist Robert Gray discussing the ways we will need to adapt to support forests being resilient to forest fires and drought in the future:
8:14 Stop listening at 10:47 and return to this screen.
Module 3.2: Adaptation examples from BC
With those adaptation examples from Module 3.1in mind, we now take a deeper dive into adaptation:
http://admin.video.ubc.ca/tiny/bajah
Video attribution: "Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals - Module 3.2 adaptation BC" by Stewart Cohen, Climate Change Fundamentals, Adaptation Learning Network is licensed under CC BY 4.0. The images used in the slides in the video are not CC BY.
Module 3.3: Adaptation - mitigation linkages and summary
In this final video lecture of Module 3, we bring everything together, discussing the linkages between climate change adaptation and climate change mitigation, exploring the synergies (co-benefits) and trade-offs that these two sides of climate action present.
http://admin.video.ubc.ca/tiny/fbtkh
Video attribution: "Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals - Module 3.3 adaptation mitigation linkage summary" by Stewart Cohen, Climate Change Fundamentals, Adaptation Learning Network is licensed under CC BY 4.0. The images used in the slides in the video are not CC BY.
Activity: Regional Context
Think about your own regional context and pick one example of climate change adaptation that will be necessary in the future that you can work on in the next module.
"Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals - Module 3" by Stewart Cohen, Climate Change Fundamentals , Adaptation Learning Network is licensed under CC BY 4.0 except where indicated. For external links to resources, review the rights and permission details.
Module 4: Knowledge and skills to practice
Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals
"Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals - Module 4" by Stewart Cohen, Climate Change Fundamentals , Adaptation Learning Network is licensed under CC BY 4.0 except where indicated. For external links to resources, review the rights and permission details.
Module 4: Knowledge and skills to practice
Welcome to Module 4 the final module in this course. The overarching goal of this course is to support your capacity to incorporate adaptation into the work you do. So, we now shift from learning about climate change, climate risk, and climate adaption, to a reflective activity designed to help each of you synthesize what you’ve learned and explore ways to put your new knowledge and skills into practice.
The Module 4 activity focuses on crafting a future adaptation story that is relevant to you and your profession and professional goals.
Module 4 Learning Goals
In Module 4, you’re going to use your own work background, and, reflecting on the previous Modules, create a story about how you might design a climate change adaptation activity that could be carried out from within your field of practice.
This experience is something that you can take with you upon completion of this course.
Module 4 Activity
As a way to pull together all the threads of the previous module, we invite you to use your time during this final week of the course to create a future story* about how you might design a climate change adaptation project in your region / domain. Your story could be anything from a one-page outline, to a flow chart, to a short slide deck. The idea is to take some time to think about a challenge you're currently facing or might face in your work, and explore the steps you could take to apply a climate change adaptation lens to that work.
When preparing your story, it might be helpful to ensure it describes:
- The specific challenge or opportunity you’d like to tackle.
- The key steps you know you’d need to take to succeed.
- Expected obstacles you don’t yet know how to overcome.
- Stakeholders, collaborators, regulators and other people you’d need to work with.
- Required resources to get the job done.
- The ideal outcome, along with measures of success.
When describing how you'll approach solving the problem, it may be helpful to consider some of the core concepts we’ve covered in the course, such as:
- Risk assessment.
- Compound risks.
- Impact.
- Access to data.
- Information supply chains.
- Expert judgement.
- Historic vs future perspectives.
- Mitigation-adaptation interactions.
Again, your story can take any form you choose: text, audio, photos, video or even a webpage. Please don't worry about the packaging of your story; I'm most interested in seeing what you propose to do, how you might do it, and what might get in your way. I encourage you to explore something that is relevant to you - a project that’s on your desk now, or something that may come up in the near future, so that this exercise has real value for you.
*Note that every story describes the experience of a hero as s/he solves a problem. While most stories are about things that have already happened, future stories simply describe proposed / desired approaches to solving problems in the future. In many ways, future stories are strategies.
Activity Schedule
Here's a schedule of suggested steps to help you complete the activity. Note that all are optional; however, we encourage you to participate in all the steps to maximize the learning benefit.
Monday
Sketch out your proposed project, including known and unknown activities and obstacles.
Wednesday
Prepare your story, referencing the two bulleted lists on the Module 4 Activity section to guide your content. Don’t be afraid to identify gaps in available skills, resources, data, knowledge that will need to be filled. This is a learning exercise - it’s okay if you don’t have all the answers!
Thursday
Submit and share your story.
"Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals - Module 4" by Stewart Cohen, Climate Change Fundamentals , Adaptation Learning Network is licensed under CC BY 4.0 except where indicated. For external links to resources, review the rights and permission details.