ENS5320 · Climate change risk, resilience and security

Overview

This unit examines climate change risk and its relationship to climate security – a nexus between energy, food, water and human security related to the impacts of climate change. The unit pays special attention to developing knowledge for enhancing climate resilience, that is, the ability to cope with and reduce the risks of climate change. Fundamental knowledge related to the science of climate change and climate risk, and solutions to improve resilience in human and natural systems via adaptation and mitigation, are explored. The unit will develop skills in applying fundamental scientific knowledge and data for examining contemporary climate change issues, including climate-related disasters and the impacts of climate trends. There is a focus on skills enhancement for robust decision-making for complex problems that contain deep uncertainty; and for problems that have a strong intersection between biophysical and human systems. You will gain key knowledge of: likely future climate changes at the regional and global scale; the development of storylines of future climates; the utility and limitations of climate models; vulnerability assessment of climate change impacts; relationships between climate impacts and security; and mitigation and adaptation responses that promote resilience to climate change, including policy and regulatory frameworks.

Areas of study: Environmental security

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.

Learning outcomes

1. Analyse and assess the key elements of climate risk using a range of data sources from biophysical and human systems;
2. Evaluate and compare the range of future responses of the climate system, and relate these to changes in climate risk and climate security;
3. Assess the role that human and biophysical systems play in the deep uncertainty related to decision-making on climate change risk;
4. Develop appropriate strategies for planning, managing and evaluating climate change risk;
5. Apply effective communication skills for collaboration on climate change issues across academia, government and non-governmental and corporate organisations and negotiate diverse perspectives on relevant topics.

Workload

• Contact hours: 1 hour per week of online delivery; • Ten hours per week in three block-on weeks; • An additional three hours in the last block-on week and • Additional requirements of at least 9-hours of independent pre and post class work, including assessment activities

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.