Adapting to Climate Change and Weather Hazards

Module overview

GGES3019 is a multidisciplinary unit designed for students with an interest in how individuals and societies understand and respond to environmental shocks and stresses, and their different capacities for adaptation. The focus of the module is on climate and weather hazards. Through lectures and seminars we will explore the key concepts of vulnerability and risk relating to environmental events. We will apply these concepts in a variety of applied contexts through case studies and seminars. Applied frameworks and real world observations lie at the heart of this module, and it is on these aspects that assessment is based.

The module begins with an exploration of the key concepts that underpin adaptation, followed by an understanding of what adaptation looks like in practice, and ending with some considerations of future adaptation needs and realities. The module has a global focus and will consider adaptation in the UK and the rest of the world.

Linked modules

Pre-requisites: GGES1011 OR GGES2011 OR UOSM2043

Learning and Teaching

Teaching and learning methods

The module will be delivered via lectures, seminars, and assignment help sessions. Depending on class size, additional support will be offered via demonstrator led Blackboard Forum queries and drop in assignment-support sessions)

Study time
Type	Hours
Independent Study	118
Teaching	30
Total study time	148

Resources & Reading list

Internet Resources

Adaptation Gap Report 2023.

Journal Articles

Emma L. Tompkins, Katharine Vincent, Robert J. Nicholls, Natalie Suckall (2018). Documenting the state of adaptation for the global stocktake of the Paris Agreement. WIREs Climate Change.

Gigi Owen (2020). What makes climate change adaptation effective? A systematic review of the literature. Global Environmental Change.

Lea Berrang-Ford, A. R. Siders, Alexandra Lesnikowski, Alexandra Paige Fischer, Max W. Callaghan, Neal R. Haddaway, Katharine J. Mach, Malcolm Araos, Mohammad Aminur Rahman Shah, Mia Wannewitz, Deepal Doshi, Timo Leiter, Custodio Matavel, Justice Issah Musah-Surugu, Gabrielle Wong-Parodi, Philip Antwi-Agyei, Idowu Ajibade, Neha Chauhan, William Kakenmaster, Caitlin Grady, Vasiliki I. Chalastani, Kripa Jagannathan, Eranga K. Galappaththi, Asha Sitati, …Thelma Zulfawu Abu (2021). A systematic global stocktake of evidence on human adaptation to climate change. Nature Climate Change.

SMIT, B. & PILIFOSOVA, O. (2001). Chapter 18, Adaptation to climate change in the context of sustainable development and equity.. Climate Change 2001: Impacts, Adaptation, Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II. Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press., pp. 879-912.

Assessment

Assessment strategy

Assessment 1 (annotated reference list): students will be asked to show the breadth and depth of reading around concepts and case studies.

Assessment 2 (seen exam): students will be expected to draw on multiple areas of course content to show their understanding of the broad concept of adaptation, and to critically analyse specific aspects.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Annotated bibliography	50%
Exam	50%

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Exam	100%

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External