317.700.98
Climate Change Adaptation in Public Health: Large World Cities
Location
Barcelona, Spain
Term
2nd Term
Department
Health Policy and Management
Credit(s)
3
Academic Year
2024 - 2025
Instruction Method
In-person
Auditors Allowed
No
Available to Undergraduate
No
Grading Restriction
Letter Grade or Pass/Fail
Course Instructor(s)
Contact Name
Frequency Schedule
Every Year
Resources
Warmer temperatures, sea-level rise and more frequent and unpredictable severe storms brought by climate change pose major challenges for public health policy makers and practitioners. The policy challenge is to develop and implement strategies and programs to protect populations from a growing number of adverse health outcomes, including heat stress and heat stroke, injuries, and vector-borne disease. Students who are future public health policy and practice leaders will gain policy and practice tools that will help public health departments in the effort to adapt to climate change. The City of Barcelona Climate Adaptation Team will make a special presentation.
Provides an overview of the science behind climate change and highlights the particular risks of global mega-cities due to their concentrated populations, urban heat-island effect, frequent proximity to coasts and rivers, and locus of transport and trade. Uses the WHO and US CDC Guides to Vulnerability for Public Health and the UN Habitat Guide to Vulnerability Assessment for Cities to identify populations at greatest risk from climate impacts. Critically evaluates through case studies actual climate and health adaptive policies as they are implemented in real-life contexts in several large, innovative world cities including San Francisco, London, Rio de Janeiro, Durban, and Copenhagen.
Learning Objectives
Upon successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
- Describe the basic science behind climate change and the epidemiological evidence for its adverse health impacts
- Organize and conduct a public health climate vulnerability assessment in a multi-hazard urban context
- Critically evaluate a range of current and newly-emerging policy and practice tools available to public health policymakers and practitioners to target resilience and preparedness efforts toward the most vulnerable
- Compare and contrast how these tools are being implemented today in several large world cities
Methods of Assessment
This course is evaluated as follows:
- 20% Participation
- 10% Final paper outline
- 70% Final Paper
Enrollment Restriction
undergraduates and interdivisional registration is not permitted for this course
If offered for AY 23/24, it will be taught on location in Barcelona Spain, requiring students to travel to Spain in order to participate.