Vulnerability and Resilience of Human Populations

Republished From: Cooling the Curriculum; Author: Neil Leary

Initial Publication Date: April 29, 2016

Summary

This 90-minute workshop session engaged faculty in sharing ideas and resources for teaching about who is vulnerable to climate change and why. The session demonstrates use of a 'Jigsaw' exercise for students to work in small groups examining selected case studies and discussing ways in which different populations are vulnerable and/or resilient to climate stresses, the underlying factors that create these conditions, and strategies for decreasing vulnerability and enhancing resilience.

The session was part of a four-day workshop that brought together faculty from multiple colleges and diverse disciplines to work collaboratively on developing new and revised courses, explore engaged learning pedagogies, and add to their knowledge for interdisciplinary teaching about climate change within a liberal arts curriculum. The workshop was held twice on the campus of Dickinson College, first in summer 2010 and again in summer 2011. Participants came from more than 20 colleges and universities and with expertise in disciplines that span the sciences, social sciences and humanities. The workshops are part of a NASA supported project Cooling the Liberal Arts Curriculum, A Campaign for Climate Change Education (https://www.dickinson.edu/info/20052/sustainability/2471/climate_education_and_research/4).

Also see teaching matereials.


Learning Goals

Objectives of the Session:

  • Become familiar with the wide range of potential impacts of climate change on human wellbeing and learn about sources of information about impacts.
  • Understand human vulnerability to climate change as a function of exposures to climate hazards and social, economic, technological and other factors that influence the sensitivity of societies and individuals to climate stresses and their resiliencies and capacities for coping with and adapting to stresses.
  • Develop ideas for exercises and projects that engage students in exploring the vulnerability and resilience of human populations to climate variability, extremes and change.

Context for Use

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Description and Teaching Materials

A summary of a faculty workshop session, with accompanying powerpoint, for teaching about vulnerability to climate change are provided. Included in the summary is an example of how a 'Jigsaw' technique can be used to have students explore case studies of human vulnerability to climate change. Short readings for case studies of vulnerability in Pennsylvania, New York City, Alaska, China and Sudan are provided as an appendix to the summary.

Session 8 Summary: Vulnerability to Climate Change
Vulnerability-of-human-populations.pdf (Acrobat (PDF) 1000kB Nov30 15)


Powerpoint: Vulnerability to Climate Change Session_8_Vulnerability_2011_rev.pptx.pdf (Acrobat (PDF) 11.8MB Nov30 15)

Teaching Notes and Tips

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Assessment

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References and Resources

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Citation

Leary, N. (2014). Vulnerability and Resilience of Human Populations. Retrieved from http://www.camelclimatechange.org/view/teachingunit/51cbfbbb7896bb431f6c042a