Module Catalogue 2025/26

Pre Requisite Comment

None

Co Requisite Comment

None

Aims

The module aims are to:
•introduce the likely hazards (impacts) associated with climate change in a range of contexts;

develop understanding of risk, its composition in terms of hazard, exposure and vulnerability and how these can vary spatially and temporally depending on local circumstances;

apply a relevant framework for the assessment of risks and corresponding adaptations in different contexts, for example, the built environment;

develop understanding of adaptation strategies to identified risks in the context of a changing climate.

The module introduces the concept of risk in the context of natural climatological hazards in a changing climate. The impacts of climate change on different sectors are explored and possible responses to these impacts are examined. The module demonstrates how climate information and tools are used in practice to assess risk to aid decision-making through adaptation and increasing resilience.

Outline Of Syllabus

Students will learn how climate hazards interact with non-climatic factors, to determine risk (as a function of hazard, vulnerability and exposure) and how future climate change will impact society. They will learn how risk may be assessed and how society might respond to increase resilience to these risks. Students will be introduced to concepts to help them create and appraise sustainable adaptation strategies in a range of settings/sectors.

The module will examine key concepts, including impacts, hazard, exposure, vulnerability, risk and resilience in the context of climatological hazards, to understand the contextual nature of climate risk at specific locations and on specific systems at different spatial scales.

Students will learn to use relevant climate and non-climatic information, data, and/or models that may be applied in risk assessment frameworks to devise adaptation (including engineering) strategies for climatic hazards. These may include (but need not be limited to) strategies that increase resilience to extreme heat, flooding, drought, sea level rise, and their application in different settings, for example on people and/or infrastructure. These will be considered in the broader context of legal and institutional frameworks and standards for climate adaptation, and broader climate action including mitigation.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

At the end of this module, students should be able to:-

1. Explain the concept and components of risk, in the context of climatic hazards and their impact on infrastructure, systems and people (M1, M6).

2. Identify, explain and appraise the key climatic hazards and risks of climate change to a range of infrastructure and systems and the need for assessment and response (M9).

3. Explain the stages of a relevant risk assessment framework and how it is used to develop climate adaptation plans to increase resilience to identified risks (M6, M9).

4. Identify and explain adaptation responses to a range of climatic hazards for different contexts and sectors (M5).

5. Interpret adaptation responses in the context of national and international legislation, agreements and standards (M4).

Intended Skill Outcomes

At the end of this module, students should have achieved the following skills:-

1. To apply research methods to identify relevant datasets and/or information sources to construct a climate risk assessment and adaptation plan (M4).

2. To employ open-source web-based tools and datasets for climate change and risk analysis (M4, M12).

3. Interpret relevant climate (hazard) and non-climatic (exposure and vulnerability) data presented in different formats (M3, M4).

4. Investigate and evaluate the current and future risks to nations, cities, or systems (for example, infrastructure components) to climate change (M3, M4).

5. Create and present a climate change risk assessment using an established, structured framework to appraise and prioritise sustainable adaptation strategies to increase resilience in a range of settings (M5, M6, M9, M11, M17).

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lectures allow transfer of the various knowledge, methods and practices available for understanding impacts and adaptation, and in person computer-based practicals and other workshops allow for consolidation of this knowledge prior to its application in a given problem (which is carried out as coursework). Guided independent study will comprise short recorded lectures some of which will be supported by short exercises and learning from these will be consolidated in group discussions and seminars.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Assessed by coursework. This allows a student's knowledge and understanding of the theory and practical methods introduced in the teaching to be monitored, applied and tested.

Assessment is :-
(a)       Coursework - which assesses understanding of the nature of risk as a function of hazards, vulnerability and how these are incorporated into the risk assessment and adaptation planning processes using climate change impacts information. Ability to appraise a range of viable adaptation responses to identified risks is assessed. Assesses knowledge outcomes 1-5 and skills outcomes 1-5. AHEP-4 codes M1, M3, M4, M5, M6, M9, M11, M12, M17.
(b)       Canvas quiz - which assesses understanding of the key terms, concepts, and processes which apply to the summative coursework.

The rationale is to assess the students’ grasp of the practical skills and understanding represented by the knowledge outcomes. The written exercise involves using a risk assessment framework for the assessment of vulnerability and risk and the development of an adaptation plan for a chosen city. It assesses skills in the use of the taught methods, available open-access tools and datasets, and ability to critique their use by identifying their limitations.
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General Notes

N/A