This course explores why climate change adaptation is important in the African context. Africa is considered one to be one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change. Historically, climate-related hazards such as drought, flooding, pest and disease outbreaks, coastal storms and heat waves have had devastating impacts on people and the environment in which they live. Often the damage knocks back progress that has been made in social and economic development, slowing down the achievement of development goals. Climate models suggest that many of these climatic hazards will intensify as the global climate warms. Building resilience to climate risks, through adaptation, is critically important for future development in Africa.
Offered By
Climate Adaptation in Africa
University of Cape TownAbout this Course
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Shareable Certificate
Earn a Certificate upon completion
100% online
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Beginner Level
Approx. 19 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: English
Flexible deadlines
Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.
Shareable Certificate
Earn a Certificate upon completion
100% online
Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
Beginner Level
Approx. 19 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: English
Offered by
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is the oldest university in South Africa and is one of the leading research universities on the African continent. UCT has over 25 000 students, of whom 30% are postgraduate students. We offer degrees in six faculties: Commerce, Engineering & the Built Environment, Health Sciences, Humanities, Law, and Science. We pride ourself on our diverse student body, which reflects the many cultures and backgrounds of the region. We welcome international students and are currently home to thousands of international students from over 100 countries. UCT has a tradition of academic excellence that is respected world-wide and is privileged to have more than 30 A-rated researchers on our staff, all of whom are recognised as world leaders in their field. Our aim is to ensure that our research contributes to the public good through sharing knowledge for the benefit of society. Past students include five Nobel Laureates – Max Theiler, Alan Cormack, Sir Aaron Klug, Ralph Bunche and, most recently, J M Coetzee.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
3 hours to complete
Climate, Vulnerability and Development in Africa
We start by exploring the linkages between social and economic development in Africa and climate change. We look at the anticipated changes in the future climate of the region and how this could impact on the development trajectory. I cover both contemporary climate risks and future climate change and how those interact with development. I also introduce the key concepts around climate adaptation that this course in based on.
3 hours to complete
15 videos (Total 92 min), 4 readings, 3 quizzes
2 hours to complete
Water Security
We'll start by examining the nature of risks to water security and the approaches to adaptation to changes in water supply - whether it is dealing with greater scarcity or more extreme weather events such as flooding. Water security is a key factor in social and economic development. Responding involves investigating climate adaptation strategies, especially at a regional level, not just at a global scale. The cases this week, presented by experts working on water security issues, are from Lesotho and South Africa.
2 hours to complete
13 videos (Total 76 min), 2 readings, 3 quizzes
4 hours to complete
Agriculture and Food Security
We’ll start off looking at the nature of agriculture across regions in Africa and the current situation of food security. Eradicating poverty through creating food security is a key sustainable development goal. We will analyse food security in terms of availability, access and utilisation - and how each of these aspects can be affected by climate change. I’ll be providing some information about the projected impacts of climate change on agriculture before moving onto look at adaptative strategies. The cases this week offer a rich variety of contextual examples from smart agriculture in Mauritius to changes being made by Namibian livestock farmers.
4 hours to complete
14 videos (Total 99 min), 2 readings, 3 quizzes
2 hours to complete
Ecosystems and Ecosystem Services
This week we’ll examine the mechanisms which make ecosystems vulnerable to climate change and other human-driven impacts. Ecosystems and the services they provide play a significant role for the livelihoods of people living across Africa. We will also look at the observed and projected impacts of the changing climate. We look at adaptation strategies from Tanzania as cases that illustrate some of the important issues.
2 hours to complete
11 videos (Total 95 min), 2 readings, 3 quizzes
Reviews
TOP REVIEWS FROM CLIMATE ADAPTATION IN AFRICA
by TMJul 7, 2020
i learnt a lot from this course. not only do i know more about climate change impacts on the environment, but also how to mitigate risks related to climate change and how to adapt to those risks.
by SNOct 31, 2018
This was an amazing relevant course, now i can take action to climate adaptation in Africa having a clear understanding on how to choose and implement the best option suggested.
by MKJun 29, 2020
Very good course to understand Africa`s current & future challenges related to climate change and what could be possible to do in the African context. I highly recommend it.
by CSAug 31, 2019
A comprehensive introduction to the current and potential long-term effects of climate change on the socio-economic well-being of the African continent.
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