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Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals

This course is designed to help professionals working across multiple disciplines to bring a climate change adaptation lens to their current and future projects. Watch the videos for a taster!
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  • Level: Introductory
  • Time commitment: 3 hours per module (4 modules in total) – 12 hours total
  • Learning product:Online course
  • Sector: multi-sector, infrastructure, agriculture, forestry, tourism, natural resource management
  • Location: Canada
  • Language:English
  • Certificate available: completion certificate; microcredential program in development

Introduction

Working professionals are increasingly aware of the need for adaptation strategies but may be unsure where to start. This 4-module, instructor-led online course will provide learners from a range of disciplinary and professional backgrounds with an overview of the current state of knowledge on climate science and a grounding in the core concepts supporting climate change adaptation.

Participants will gain an understanding of regional climate trends, risks, and their implications for human and natural systems, the role of adaptation in risk reduction, and an understanding of how science-based information and tools can be used in strategic adaptation planning.

The learning is supported by readings, videos and live, interactive online sessions. Participants are encouraged to share their own knowledge and expertise in group-based discussion forums.

The Climate Adaptation Fundamentals course material is available using the links below for self-learning but if you wish to attend a facilitated online course find details of this and related Adaptation Learning Network (ALN) courses here.

Institutional background and trainers

Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals by Stewart Cohen is licensed under CC BY 4.0except where indicated.For external links to resources, review the rights and permission details.

This course is part of the Adaptation Learning Network: Inspiring Climate Action. This course is Creative Commons licensed and the content is free to use with attribution (for external links to resources, please review the rights and permission details).

This course is also offered as a facilitated online course by Royal Roads University. You can find registration information on the Adaptation Learning Network Portal.

Who would find this useful?

This course was designed for working professionals from a range of disciplinary and professional backgrounds.

Learning Material

Module 1 – What’s the problem?

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

Video attribution: “Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals – Module 1.1 – Climate Trends” 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 2 – What’s at stake?

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

Video attribution: “Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals – Module 2.0: 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.

Module 3 – What can we do?

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

Video attribution: “Climate Change Adaptation Fundamentals – Module 3.1: What can we do?” 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 4 – Knowledge and skills to practice

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.

Learning Outcomes

After completing the course you will be able to:

  • Explain the core concepts of climate science
  • Distinguish between weather, climate variability and climate change
  • Describe current climate trends, regional impacts and the role of adaptation
  • Analyse different regional climate change scenarios, impacts, and opportunities for adaptation and mitigation
  • Develop a high-level plan for integrating climate change adaptation into practice.

Related resources

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