Climate Hazards - Module GY5022

As our climate deteriorates, extreme climatic events such as floods, storms, wildfires, landslides, and heatwaves will become more common, with more and more people, places, and infrastructure vulnerable. Planning for the future must account for potential vulnerability to more frequent climate hazards.

This module will examine the nature, extent, frequency, risk, and potential for adaption and mitigation against a range of climate hazards, including flooding, wildfires, landslides, and heatwaves. Drawing heavily on case studies, including media coverage and the academic literature, students will explore these hazards from both physical and social geographic perspectives. They will consider the causes and geographic distribution of these natural events, as well as examining how risk, vulnerability, and consequences vary in different geographic areas due to geology, geomorphology, hydrology, demographics, socioeconomic factors, and more. They will develop the skills necessary to assess the hazardousness of particular geographic areas, to cartographically illustrate risk by creating hazard maps, and to use geospatial data on climate hazards to inform decision-making and strategies for adaption and mitigation.