University of St Andrews

Key information

SCOTCAT credits : 30

ECTS credits : 15

Level : SCQF level 10

Semester: 2

Planned timetable: Fri 10am-1pm

This module introduces students to the feasibility, efficacy, and acceptability of natural climate solutions in the Global South. In the context of COVID19 recovery, this approach is timely as governments invest to “build back better”. We will explore how the public and private sector can work better together to move away from building fossil fuel-based hard infrastructure that fragments habitats to designing climate-proof, inclusive and nature-positive green-blue infrastructure that reduces risks. This module will build analytical, theoretical, and professional skills – exploring benefits and tradeoffs of restoring, managing, protecting, and creating lands, safeguard measures, tools to evaluate impacts and plan for a more sustainable future. This elective could be interesting to anyone interested in a career in urban or landscape planning, disaster risk reduction, climate change, engineering, biodiversity conservation, international relations, local government, insurance, or research.

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisite(s): Before taking this module you must pass SD2002

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact: 1hr Lecture (x10 weeks), 2hr Seminar (x10 weeks), 1hr supervision (x1 week)

Scheduled learning hours: 31

Guided independent study hours: 265

Assessment pattern

As used by St Andrews: Coursework = 100%

As defined by QAA
Coursework: 100%

Re-assessment: Coursework = 100%

Personnel

Module coordinator: Dr J P R Thorn
Module teaching staff: Dr Jessica Thorn
Module coordinator email

Intended learning outcomes

• Demonstrate a critical understanding of new and emerging frameworks on the feasibility, acceptability, and efficiency of nature climate solutions for synergistic climate change mitigation and adaptation and conservation.
• Evaluate current and future synergies and trade-offs of restoring, managing, and protecting natural and semi natural, urban, agricultural freshwater and marine landscapes.
• Build their competence in transdisciplinary practice, collaboration, knowledge co-production, fostering a collaborative spirit, adaptability, agility, teamwork skills and confidence through active engagement and collective responsibility.
• Exercise thought independence, by employing creative problem solving skills, gaining confidence, self-motivation, planning, and strategizing and facilitating a participatory planning process.
• Better synthesise debates, analyse visual material, employ comparative analysis, analyse spatially explicit using large spatial-temporal datasets and enhance their communication skills by pitching their research to different audiences and listening during field trips.
• Critically grasp and apply of concepts such as at systems dynamics, interlinkages transformations and regenerative systems, in the context of empirical case studies from Africa, Asia and Latin America.