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Climate Change and Sustainable Development (CCSD)

School of Environment Resources and Development | Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Change

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Climate Change and Sustainable Development (CCSD) Program at AIT is designed to produce professionals capable of assessing, finding options and delivering them for low carbon and climate resilient development. We offer Certificate, Master’s and Doctoral degrees, and provide opportunities for students to specialize in specific or sectoral topics, such as energy, agriculture-land-use-and-forest, water, infrastructure, disaster, development, policy, financing etc.

The program is also tailored to conduct cutting-edge and solution-oriented research in climate change in an interdisciplinary setting. Our research focuses on low carbon and climate resilient communities, greenhouse gas accounting, technology needs, climate policy assessment, climate financing, disaster and risk management, impact and adaptation to climate change in water, land, agriculture, and their nexus.

Science has said that the stabilization of global climate change is possible and we “can” substantially reduce the risks imposed by climate change. This requires new knowledge and consolidated actions. We thrive to develop next-generation climate leaders ready to take on these challenges and take-on new research frontiers to build a better knowledge base and facilitate actions.

FOCUS AREAS

  • Climate Change
  • Sustainable Development
  •  Climate negotiation
  • Climate finance
  • Climate change mitigation
  • Adaptation to climate change
  • Carbon policy and market
  • Climate impacts and vulnerability
  • Climate resilient society
  • Climate smart

PREFERRED BACKGROUND

Bachelor’s degree in science, engineering, social science, humanities, management. 

COURSE STRUCTURE

List of courses
Minor details: Student should take minimum 12 credits courses from CCSD program’s i.e. ED82 courses which include 6 credits of required courses.
Course CodeCourseNumber of CreditsDescription/Course ObjectiveSemester
ED82.02Science of Climate Change and Impacts2

Earth’s climate is changing in ways that affect our weather, oceans, snow, ice, ecosystems, and society. Climate change has been described as the largest environmental issue facing humanity, and one of the most critical issues of any kind confronting us in terms of planetary ‘management’. There is an urgent need to better understand how the science, social science, policy and management issues associated with climate change can be integrated and handled more effectively. This course seeks to first lay down the fundamental scientific principles behind climate change. The aim of this course is to provide the students with a framework to enhance the understanding of these issues.

Fall Sem
ED82.04Climate Compatible and Sustainable Infrastructure Development3

In view of the importance and challenges of developing and managing sustainable infrastructure in the globe including Asia, this course is designed to provide a graduate level understanding of the planning, assessment and implementation of various types of infrastructure development. The relationships of infrastructure elements and functions with climate change will be a focus of this course – including their contributions to and impacts from climate change.

Jan Sem
ED82.05Land Use and Climate Change2

Land use being one of the major causes of climate change and the fact that enormous land use change, the issue is of high concern due to important role of land use on food security and ecosystem services. The objective of this course is to provide students the knowledge about land use change and its processes, impact on climate change and vice versa, and potentials of land uses for mitigation and adaptation. The course specifically focuses on agriculture, forestry and other land use sectors.

Jan Sem
ED82.06Climate Change Impacts, Vulnerability and Adaptation: Concepts, Tools and Practices3

This course provides a brief introduction on climate change science, details the concepts of and methods to climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation assessment. Furthermore the course provides the hands-on exercise on using selected tools and techniques to assess the impacts and vulnerability and design and implementation of adaptation strategies for natural and managed resources and systems, and their use (water, agriculture, ecosystems).

Fall Sem
ED82.07Climate Change Mitigation2

Climate change mitigation activities are designed to reduce greenhouse emissions and/or increase the greenhouse gases removal from the atmosphere by greenhouse sinks. This course is designed to expose the students to the climate change mitigation theories, practices and options with more focus on the mitigation actions at individual, national and global levels. The course will provide a critical and multidisciplinary overview of strategies for climate change mitigation by focusing on the technical feasibility and effectiveness of different mitigation options in sectors such as energy systems, transport, buildings, industry, agriculture and land based systems. The subject will discuss the criteria and considerations for evaluating climate change mitigation.

Fall Sem
ED82.08Economics of Climate Change2

Economics is at the heart of the climate change debates, discussions, policies and actions. It also provides tools and basis for choice of actions and policy instruments. Therefore, the objective of this course is to provide a sound understanding of the economics of climate change from multiple viewpoints needed for graduate students specializing in climate change. These viewpoints span from the economic underpinnings of global climate agreements and global costs and benefits as key tenants of climate policy to the cost-benefits analysis as a tool for analyzing projects and policy instruments. The course also provides an opportunity to make students aware of the limitations of the economic approach, valuation difficulties, uncertainly of impacts and other ambiguities which are inherent in the climate change.

Jan Sem
ED82.11Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk3

The impact of climate change are apparent through the manifestation of extreme events. Building resilience and the capacity to adapt to climate change promotes flexibility, learning and protection of ecosystems as well as direct social and environmental benefits. Integrated climate change mitigation efforts are required in various sectors in order to minimize the risk of climate change and associated disasters. The course will provide the students with an understanding of the key concepts and impacts of climate change and issues associated with vulnerability, adaptation and resilience. The objective of this course is to provide students with a sound knowledge on emerging issues and viewpoints confronting recent trend on Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk management.

Jan Sem
ED82.14Adaptation to Climate Change: Policies and Practices2

The main objective of the course is to make students understand the key challenges to adaptation to climate change. It deals with the concepts and types of adaptation, technological challenges, the role of governments, NGOs, civil society and international organizations in promoting adaptation.

InterSem

Other Courses :

Minor details: Student should take minimum 12 credits courses from CCSD program’s i.e. ED82 courses which include 6 credits of required courses.
Course CodeCourse titleCreditsSemester
ED52.03Introduction to Development and Sustainability, 2(2-0)2 (1-2)Fall
ED82.06Climate Change Impacts, vulnerability and Adaptation: Concepts, Tools and Practices3 (2-3)Fall
ED82.10Climate change, agriculture and food security3 (3-0)January
ED82.12Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation in Fisheries and Aquaculture2 (2-0)January
ED82.13Analytical Tools for Climate Change Adaptation at Local Level3 (2-3)January
ED82.9004Science of Climate Change and Environment Co-benefit2 (2-0)InterSem

CONCERNED FACULTY