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Curriculum materials for climate change adaptation planning were developed and trialled over 2008 and 2009 by the School of Geography and Environmental Studies with the aid of a grant from the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency under its Climate Change Adaptation Skills for Professionals Small Grants Program.
The School of Geography and Environmental Studies undertook to (i) build understanding and skills for climate change adaptation planning; and (ii) contribute to mainstreaming climate change adaptation into existing postgraduate education and training for planners and managers of built and natural environments.
The materials comprise a core module and four content modules. The core introductory module deals with five topic areas including climate change science, impacts and scenarios; systems thinking; relationships between adaptation and mitigation; principles and concepts of adaptation; and the sustainability and governance implications of climate change. These topics provide the basics of what planners need to know to undertake adaptation planning. The content modules address key vulnerability themes of biodiversity, water, coasts, and settlements.
Through a range of problem-based exercises, students have opportunities to rehearse specific climate change adaptation planning skills and competencies, such as vulnerability assessment and scenario development.
The unit has been developed for both on-campus and distance teaching and learning modes with varying degrees of flexibility. Flexibility is enabled by a range of online support mechanisms while modular design allows for disaggregation of the materials for their incorporation into existing coursework units. Of course the materials can also standalone.
Unit development was informed by an Expert Reference Group whose range of expertise has ensured relevance of the materials to the needs of planning professionals and integration of research knowledge, practical experience and pedagogy into unit content and delivery.
These materials are now being made available for adoption by university planning schools and departments. There is a range of materials available in a range of formats, which have been designed to meet the needs of oncampus and external students. Materials include lectures and skills exercises (as PowerPoint slides, Adobe Presenter - includes PowerPoint lecture slides, audio and notes - and in portable document format (pdf)); bibliographies (in pdf); and tasks for external students (pdf). For convenience of users, they are accompanied by a guidance manual.
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS CURRICULUM MATERIALS
These materials, which have been designed for postgraduate level coursework, are readily available for you to use in your teaching programs. The only request is that appropriate acknowledgement is given in the following form:
These materials have been developed by Julie Davidson of the School of Geography and Environmental Studies, the University of Tasmania with funding support from the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency under the Climate Change Adaptation Skills for Professionals Program.
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