ACADEMIC YEAR 2017-2018

Global governance of human-induced climate change is a hotly debated subject. Current climate policy mechanisms are the result of a series of complex, long-lasting negotiation processes at multiple levels of governance. The resultant decisions about global environmental governance, which impact socio-economic, cultural and ethical consequences of climate change, are determined by:

• the availability of relevant science on the Earth’s climate system and anthropogenically driven changes,

• effective science-policy interfacing mechanisms,

• the structure of multi-level organizations that enables cooperation and political relations

• and the existence of appropriate legal instruments of international environmental law.

  This course examines climate change governance by looking at the interaction between these multiple elements, beginning with an overview of the history of scientific evidence of impacts from anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions on the climate and biosphere (ecosystems), to understanding the multilateral, regional, national and sub-national governance decision making spheres, including its various stakeholders. Special attention will be drawn to climate impacts on especially vulnerable ecosystems (like poles and the ocean), which by nature require special governance instruments.

This course seeks to study and give possible solutions for disaster risk reduction and to overcome the livelihood stresses, resulting from climatic, physical, economic and social stresses that are encountering urban areas. Some of the topics on which this course focuses are: The neighborhood approach for Disaster Risk Reduction, increased urban poverty, urban livelihoods in a globalizing world economy, and the Urban Sustainable Development Goals. The course exposes students to practical methods of analyzing and promoting urban regeneration activities and measures that may help overcome the constraints resulting from zoning and allowing for mixed land uses, which can be part of a general strategy for housing the poor and promotion of peri-urban agriculture, sustainable mobility, or regeneration of river zones for transport, recreation, commerce, among others. The course also exposes students to practical ways in which urban community-based organizations (CBOs) can be involved in developing their self-help programs and in improving livelihoods of slum dwellers and other urban poor. It provides students with case studies of partnerships between CBOs, NGOs, government and the private sector in negotiating, conceptualizing, and implementing community development projects. Moreover, the course gives examples of partnerships between urban dwellers and peri-urban producers in the form of community-supported agriculture and other similar partnerships for urban renovation, sustainable mobility or waste management for example, that may be replicated elsewhere.

In this course we will critically examine research methodology. Our course is designed to take student sequentially through the process of thinking about and designing research. Together, we will first explore the basic structure of a research program and examine the theoretical and philosophical origins of different research approaches. I will guide students as they learn to link different information-gathering methods to a given research approach. My emphasis will be on qualitative research methodology but we will introduce quantitative approaches. To ensure students gain hands on experience with the process of developing methodologies and implementing different information gathering procedures, I will complement lectures with workshops where students will learn by doing. Furthermore, I believe that learning about methods requires analyzing how these methods have worked (or not) in real world case studies; thus, in class discussions of current case studies will complement workshops and lectures.

5 – 9 February 2018, San Jose, Costa Rica

15 hours (5 days – 3 hours each):

EDP- RMSED- WCD 7001 Graduation Requirement Guidelines

 In the first part of the course, students will analyze and discuss different theoretical and conceptual approaches to adaptation to climate change; these include: mitigation, adaptation, transformation, and resilience. We will then examine climate justice and human rights. Next, we will examine climate justice movements led by indigenous peoples, women, and youth. Lastly, we will focus on one key climate justice project and create and present a funding campaign for this project.