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Climate Change Adaptation in Food Security and Natural Resource Management

It is time to take climate action, but where to start? In this course you will learn how to turn your climate analysis in to adaptation actions to strengthen food production and resilient supporting ecosystems. Without appropriate responses, climate change will further impact sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, forestry and landscape management in many southern countries. But if you plan for it, effective adaptation to climate change is possible!

Organised by Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation
Date

Thu 1 February 2024 until Tue 19 March 2024

Duration Part-time, online format
Price EUR 5,250.00

Course dates are subject to change. This course will be taught in online format.

What will you learn?

Upon completion of the course you will:

  • Apply a systems thinking approach to understand climate change
  • Have comprehensive understanding of climate change adaptation concepts and solutions including landscape approaches and climate smart agriculture
  • Acquire new project management concepts and skills including: participatory planning, locally-led adaptation and reflective learning
  • Be able to effectively and meaningfully contribute to implementation of climate change adaptation strategies at the local level
  • Be able to effectively and meaningfully contribute to local-scale climate change adaptation policy processes
  • Have prepared a personal action plan to integrate your new knowledge and skills into your daily work.

To course details

For whom is this course?

Applicants should have at least a relevant BSc degree or an equivalent academic qualification, and at least three years of professional experience in relevant fields like agriculture, natural resource management or sustainable development. Apart from practitioners in these fields, we also have welcomed staff of private companies, a bank official and a journalist. Competence in the English language is required.

Course programme in more detail

Climate adaptation can be effective

Climate change is a fact. But if you plan for it, adaptation to climate change is possible. This requires strategic and systemic thinking by you and your organisation. This course enables you to become familiar with strategic planning for climate change adaptation and increased climate resilience.

Why adapt to climate change?

Without appropriate responses climate change is likely affect the healthy functioning of ecosystems on which we depend and to constrain economic development and poverty reduction efforts. Countries with economies rooted in climate sensitive sectors such as agriculture, fisheries and forestry are expected to be hit hardest. Climate change is both a global and a local development issue, as it could jeopardise the livelihoods of millions. This is particularly so where communities are already vulnerable to changes and have limited coping capacity. Well-designed adaptation strategies provide to build climate resilience.

Climate resilience is the capacity of a person or system to maintain its role, purpose and integrity in the face of dramatically changed circumstances. Resilience is the ability of social systems (like farming communities) and/or ecological systems (like the soils on which is being farmed) to absorb disturbances while retaining the same basic structure and ways of functioning, the capacity for self-organisation, and the capacity to adapt to stress and change. In the face of climate change this capacity needs to be reinforced, at farm and local levels but also at other levels such as the landscape level.

You can become involved

While climate change negotiations take place in the international arena, there is often limited knowledge and understanding of climate change adaptation concepts and its implications at the local level. All countries develop adaptation strategies which are aimed at climate change adaptation for the medium to long-term. The formulation of climate change adaptation projects, covering urgent and immediate needs, is done by most least-developed countries (LDCs) by preparing National Adaptation Programmes for Action (NAPAs).

Many economically more developed countries also prepare adaptation programmes or strategies. Often projects formulated under such programmes or strategies focus on technical issues and not on the institutional and organisational capacities that should be in place to implement possible adaptation strategies. Adaptation means also change in attitude, skills and mind-set. The translation of policies and policy instruments on climate change (either from your governmental or from your non-governmental organisation or enterprise) into local climate adaptation strategies is something that you as a professional can contribute to.

Hot spots for climate change

A hot spot for climate change is an ‘area’ that is already vulnerable and is likely to suffer substantial impacts as a result of climate change. How to design adaptation strategies for these hot spots is part of the group work based on participants cases. There is particular attention for increasing resilience of farmers in the hotspot. The results are well thought out proposals for climate change adaptation which you can apply in your work situation back home.

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    Course formats

    Our courses are offered in two format: online or blended. A course taught in blended format is taught partially online and partially in person. Check the course details for more information about whether it is taught in online or blended format.

    This course uses interactive training methods. Topics are dealt with in a combination of lectures, plenary and group work, study assignments and role plays provided by WCDI and guest lecturers from various Universities and Research Centres and NGOs across the world. Experiences and case studies of participants are the entry point for interaction. Learning from experiences from your peers is an important element.

    This interactive course will be taught online format. It includes interactions with researchers and farmers to discuss and refine strategies for climate smart agriculture and natural resource management. It also includes the preparation of a personal action plan to integrate your new knowledge and skills into your daily work at home.

    Application for this course

    On top of this page you can apply for the course Climate Change Adaptation in Food Security and Natural Resource Management. Depending on your nationality, your organisation and the type of course you wish to join, your eligibility and the application procedures may differ. Find out more about the requirements and the application process.