95709 - CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION

Conoscenze e abilità da conseguire

Students of this course will learn advanced methods for the design of water resources systems. The main focus will be (1) the estimation of water resources in the presence of human impact and climate change, (2) the estimation of water demands, and (3) the evaluation of alternative solutions for reconciling the availability of water resources with the increasing water needs and the preservation of ecosystems and the environment. Decision theory will be considered as an effective and transparent means to evaluate competitive solutions, while uncertainty assessment will provide the basis for a pragmatic design. The joint analysis and modeling of water resources systems and societal systems will be the driving concept of the course.

Contenuti

The course focuses on sustainable solutions for adapting to the current or expected effects of climate change, with a particular emphasis on water-related impacts and disasters.

It is highly multidisciplinary and designed for a broad audience, aiming to expand beyond engineering with an innovative vision.

The instructor will encourage extensive interaction with students. For example, students will have the optional opportunity to deliver brief presentations to the class, and contribute to the discussion. Students are also encouraged to propose additional ideas for interaction.

Tutorial documents will be provided to the students.

The course includes the following topics:

1. Introduction to the climate change problem
2. The climate system
3. Climate change processes
4. Identifying climate change impacts from data
5. Models for estimating climate change impacts
6. Climate change impacts on the water cycle
7. Risk-based adaptation design
8. Solutions for climate change adaptation

Part of the course will be delivered online.

Testi/Bibliografia

The instructor will provide documents to support the learning process, which will be made available to students.

Metodi didattici

The course is primarily taught through lectures, with some dedicated time for data analysis and exploring solutions for climate change adaptation.

Modalità di verifica e valutazione dell'apprendimento

Student performance will be assessed through an oral examination.

The questions will cover material discussed in the lectures, including short exercises. To pass the exam, students must demonstrate understanding of the theoretical principles and analytical derivations taught during the lectures. The instructor will explicitly highlight the key topics students need to understand in order to pass the exam. A distinction (laude) will be awarded to students who show excellent preparation and demonstrate an in-depth, personal analysis of the subject matter.

Strumenti a supporto della didattica

The instructor will make presentation materials available to students, along with scientific papers and summaries of recent research findings distributed during the lectures.

Lectures will be delivered either in-person or online, depending on the format.

Orario di ricevimento

Consulta il sito web di Guenter Bloeschl