ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
- Overview
- Assessment methods
- Learning objectives
- Contents
- Bibliography
- Teaching methods
- Contacts/Info
It is recommended to achieve the knowledge of the main impacts of recent climate change, of past climatic changes and their role in shaping the history and evolution of our planet. These topics are specifically addressed by the class “Plant Biodiversity and Climate Change”. To allow the students achieve these preliminary knowledge, the lectures of that class will be held in the first part of the semester, while the lectures of this present class will be held in the second part of the semester.
As the slides of the lectures will be in English, a good knowledge (at least of written English) is required.
The final examination aims to assess the students’ level of understanding and learning, evaluating their knowledge but also their capability to use critically their knowledge to solve real problems.
There will be a unique final written examination lasting two hours with three open questions focusing on the topics addressed during the class. For every question the maximum score will be 10, allowing to achieve a final score of 30/30. The minimum sufficient score for each question (6/10) will be achieved providing the main knowledge of the main topics and problems addressed by the specific question, with emphasis on the most important issues, as underlined during the class. The evaluation will increase depending on the completeness of the answers for each question, of the details of the knowledge and information provided, of the capability of the student to identify and describe the relation among the selected topics. The evaluation 30/30 with laude will be attributed when the student preparation will be more than excellent.
This class aims to provide an advanced knowledge on the mitigation and adaptation to recent climate change. These topics indeed concern both the assessment and monitoring of climate change impacts, but also their reduction through the development of new strategies of mitigation and adaptation promoting projects incrrasing environmental carbon sequestration as well as initiatives to decrease anthropogenic emissions (involving human activities, the socio-economic context, human health).
To better address these topics, a wide range of case studies and practical examples will be analyzed, as wel as the pertinent scientific literature, practical projects specifically developed on these topics and, last but not least, the development of new laws and rules. For this aim the most relevant topics and case studies will be selected to be discussed and illustrated during the lectures. This class will be held in connection with the class “Plant Biodiversity and Climate Change” allowing the students to develop their critical and personal view of the complext problems triggered by the recent climate change and its impacts. During the lectures the interest of the students will be stimulated selecting some topics with largest relevance and impact and discussing a case study and the development (by the students led by the professor) of a pilot project, allowing the students to test their competency, knowledge and critical approach to these topics.
At the end of the class the student will be able to:
1. Identify and describe the mainstrategies for the reduction of the impacts of recent climate change through the development of specific mitigation actions as well as promoting the adaptation of ecosystems and humans to climate change impacts
2. Identify and describe the main environmental problems triggered by recent climate and global change, identify the priorities due to higher risk, both for mitigation and for the development of adaptation plans
3. Use the achieved knowledge to evaluate critically case studies and develop strategies to monitor and manage the environmental problems relating to adaptation and mitigation triggered by climate change
4. Explain properly the topics addressed by the class through an appropriate scientific language
5. Identify links between the different topics addressed by the lectures
This class focuses on contrasting the impacts of recent climate change (and global change) on plant biodiversity and ecosystems, as well as on the social and economical context through the double strategy of mitigation and adaptation to recent climate change
1. Climate Change
Drivers of recent Climate Change and identification of the most important impact trends and of the main criticisms forecast for the next decades
H. lectures: 4.
2. Mitigation of recent climate change: definition, main fields of impact and strategies. Analysis of the scientific literature concerning climate change mitigation.
H. lectures: 10.
3. Mitigation of recent climate change: case studies, projects and normative references to climate change mitigation referred both to anthropogenic activities as well as to the ecosystems in different environmental, climatic and social-economic conditions.
H. lectures: 10.
4. Adaptation to recent climate change: definition, main fields of impact and strategies. Analysis of the scientific literature concerning climate change adaptation. Reference to the adaptation plans promoted by the European Union.
H. lectures: 10.
5. Adaptation to recent climate change: case studies, projects and normative references to climate change adaptation referred both to anthropogenic activities as well as to the ecosystems in different environmental, climatic and social-economic conditions.
H. lectures: 12.
6. Adaptation, mitigation, ecosystem processes and ecosystem services.
H. lectures: 2.
The lecture slides (files .pptx or .pdf) will be provided to the students at the end of the lectures of each main topic and downloaded on e-learning. Moreover, the pdf files of the most important scientific papers cited during the lectures will be provided.
The teaching activities will include lectures (with the support of slides showing the topics addressed). The lectures will be performed through teledidactics turning the lecture site between Como and Varese.
The visiting time will be personalized and fixed by e-mail (nicoletta.cannone@uninsubria.it)
Professors
Borrowers
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Degree course in: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
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Degree course in: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES