B2925 - Africa and Climate Change Governance

Learning outcomes

Students will learn how to frame the complex phenomenon of climate change, understand its main interdependencies, related to both economic and political aspects as well as local, supranational, and global dimensions. Students will be able to identify climate change's impact on the economy, society, and international politics. Students will also learn how to describe the origins and evolution of international agreements and programs aimed at addressing the issue of climate change, as well as understand the differentiated impact on different regions/areas of the world, through in-depth study of specific case studies. More specifically, the module addresses the interaction between climate change and the current economic and social factors of transformation in African societies and states, with particular reference to armed conflicts and migratory processes. The student will also acquire the skills to analyse the policies and tools through which African and international governments and multilateral institutions have attempted to mitigate the impact of climate change.

 

Course contents

The module will address the following topics:

1. The national, regional, and international policies implemented to mitigate the effects of climate change in Africa.

2. Africa-Europe relations on the topics of just transition and environmental diplomacy.

3. The case study of South Africa.

Readings/Bibliography

The bibliography consists of texts and readings mostly in English and includes a common part for all modules and a specific part for each module. An additional bibliography is provided for non-attending students. Part of the bibliography will be made available on Virtuale.

Attending students:

a) Bibliography common to all the modules:

One of the following books, at choice.

Mastrojeni G. e Pasini A.., 2017, Effetto Serra Effetto Guerra. Clima, Conflitti, Migrazioni: l'Italia in Prima Linea. Chiarelettere Editore;

Di Paola M., 2015, Cambiamento Climatico. Una Piccola Introduzione. LUISS University Press.

b) Bibliography for the third module:

- Beinart W., 2004, The Rise of Conservation in South Africa.
Settlers, Livestock, and the Environment 1770–1950. Introduction.

- McEwan C., 2017, Spatial processes and politics of renewable energy transition: land, zones and frictions in South Africa, Political Geography 56:1–12.

- Walker C. e Hoffman T., 2024, Contested Karoo. Interdisciplinary perspectives on change and continuity in South Africa’s drylands. Capitoli 1, 9, 10.

- Walker C., Milton S., O’Connor T.G., Maguire J.M. e Dean W.R.J., 2018, Drivers and trajectories of social and ecological change in the Karoo, South Africa, African Journal of Range & Forage Science, 35:3-4, 157-177

Non attending students:

The detailed bibliography for non-attending students will include the readings and texts indicated for attending students, with additional readings suggested by the instructors at the beginning of the course.

Teaching methods

Lectures.

Assessment methods

For the attending students there will be two mid-term exams and a final exam. Each mid-term exam is worth 30% of the final grade; the final exams 40%.

The first mid-term exam will cover the arguments of the first module. The second mid-term exam will cover the arguments of the second and third modules. In each mid-term exam students must answer to three open questions; each exam lasts two hours.

The final exam will be a Report that students write at home; this Report will then be discussed with the instructors during the oral final exam. The topic of the Report will be communicated by IOL. The Report must be sent to the instructors at least 10 days before the oral final exam.

For the non-attending students the final exam will be oral and it will cover all the required readings.

Teaching tools

Slides, database, videos and official documents.

Office hours

See the website of Davide Chinigò