Urban Management Tools for Climate Change

Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)

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Program description

The Urban Management Tools for Climate Change course introduces climate change as an integral part of sustainability, its impacts and main strategies for mitigation and adaptation.

Cities are increasingly expected to undertake concrete actions to adapt to sea level rise, floods, droughts and other natural disasters exacerbated by climate change and climate variability. This course offers management tools for urban policy makers, planners and environmentalists.

The impact of climate change differs for rural and urban areas, coastal cities, mountain cities and low-latitude cities. What concrete activities should for example coastal cities undertake? From the onset of the course, participants will apply theory and best practices to actual group work. Local Climate Change Action Plans will be prepared by participants, including a risk and vulnerability assessment, strategies for mitigation and adaptation assessment along with concrete actions and financial arrangements. Rotterdam will be visited weekly, being one of the 40 cities of the Clinton initiative.

Urban Management Course Objectives
By the end of the course, participants will be able to prepare local climate change plans, which address the global challenges yet focus on concrete local actions. The course will offer specific practices to manage urban design and environmental infrastructure, in particular energy, transport, housing and water.

Urban Management Course Outline
The Urban Management Tools for Climate Change course is a blend of lectures, case studies, participants’ presentations, group exercises, simulation exercises and excursions/field visits. Course participants will be engaged mainly in group work by using different tools for vulnerability mapping, GHG emissions inventory, climate change prioritization and an online data base of climate technologies and actions.

From the onset of the Urban Management course, participants will apply theory and best practices to actual group work. Local Climate Change Action Plans will be prepared by participants, including a vulnerability assessment, adaptation and mitigation actions assessment along with concrete plans and financial arrangements. Rotterdam is one of the 40 cities of the Clinton initiative, therefore the course will look at the Rotterdam Climate Initiative and Rotterdam Climate Proof Programs and a range of innovative plans and actions – such as ‘floating communities’ - that aim to transform a polluting harbor city, below sea level, into a ‘CO2 neutral’ and climate proof city.

The Urban Management Tools for Climate Change is being jointly offered by IHS and UN-HABITAT.

About the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies

The Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS) is an international centre of excellence of the School of Economics (ESE) and the Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS) of the Erasmus University Rotterdam. IHS operates on a global scale by offering postgraduate education, training, advisory services and applied research.

IHS was selected as the winner for the 2007 UN-HABITAT Scroll of Honour Award for leading the way as a global center of excellence and knowledge through its high quality training programmes in housing, urban management and urban environmental management and planning.

In 2008 IHS celebrated its 50th anniversary of assisting countries, cities and institutions to find suitable approaches to housing and sustainable urban development, and strengthen their capacity to implement them.

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Admission requirements

Previous education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent.

Professional experience

At least 3 years work or academic experience.

Language requirements

IELTS overall band: 6, IELTS listening: 5.5, IELTS reading: 5.5, IELTS writing: 5.5, IELTS speaking: 5.5, TOEFL paper based: 550, TOEFL computer based: 213, TOEFL internet based: 79