Postgraduate Course: Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation (PGGE11126)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course first introduces some of the fundamentals of climate change science. It goes on to examine global to local scale impacts. It then explores the potential for adaptation at these different scales and the win-wins of coupling adaptation with mitigation. Additionally, the course covers the international development implications of human induced climate change, and climate change risk assessment. |
| Course description |
The primary aim of this course is to provide students with a high-level understanding of climate change science, impacts and adaptation at global, national and local scales. Key impacts and adaptation strategies will be introduced via outputs from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP), with a focus on sector-relevant issues. The course syllabus builds from the scientific basis of climate change, attribution and projection, through to examination of impacts and adaptation at a range of scales. The course is designed so that students with little or no previous expertise in climate change science, impacts and adaptation will gain the underlying knowledge required to inform impact and adaptation assessments.
Lectures will cover the following topics: The foundations of climate change science, impacts of a changing climate on multiple sectors and regions, climate risk assessment including vulnerability and capacity, climate change adaptation, international agreements and regional policies, communication and knowledge exchange, climate justice and relevance for international development.
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Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2022/23, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 40 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 40,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
156 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Coursework 100% -
Climate Change Impacts Video or podcast ¿ 30% of overall course grade, to be submitted in week 7 (midday 2nd November).
Adaptation Assessment Report (3,000 words) ¿70% of overall course grade, to be submitted in week 11 (midday 30th November).
Full assignment details are provided in Learn. |
| Feedback |
- Written feedback on both assessments will be provided within 2-3
weeks of submission (not including public holidays).
- Assessment 1 will also include peer marking, which all students are
expected to deliver.
- The academic team also rely on feedback from you to help them
continually improve the course. This feedback can be given either
direct to the course director, or via the class representative.
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| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand to a high level projected climate change impacts and adaptation at global, national and local scales, with a focus on business and industry.
- Be familiar with climate prediction models, feedback processes and uncertainties.
- Evaluate implications of climate change impacts and adaptation at scales ranging from global to local.
- Understand the regulatory issues of human-induced climate change.
- Understand in depth climate change communication approaches, sceptical arguments and scientific counter-arguments.
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Reading List
Required reading- all available via the Library or online:
IPCC Climate Change 2022 Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability - Summary for Policy Makers https://report.ipcc.ch/ar6wg2/pdf/IPCC_AR6_WGII_SummaryForPolicymakers.pdf
IPCC (2018) Special Report: Global Warming of 1.5oC. Chapter 1
https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/
Maslin, M., (2021) Climate change : a very short introduction (4th edition), Oxford University Press, Available via the Library Online or In Print
In addition to these preparatory readings, a week-by-week reading list is provided via course Learn page.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Students will be able to demonstrate skills in interdisciplinary analysis, drawing upon different empirical sources, analytical perspectives and sub-disciplines within carbon management studies.
Students will also be able to demonstrate an ability to acquire and apply specialist knowledge.
Finally, students will be able to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
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| Keywords | PGGE11126 vulnerability,feedbacks,climate science,climate proxies,modelling,projection,comm |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Katherine Crowley
Tel: (0131 6)50 2519
Email: kate.crowley@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Niamh Bajai
Tel: (0131 6)50 8105
Email: niamh.bajai@ed.ac.uk |
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