AdapTM Climate Change Managementthrough Adaptation and Mitigation

WP 4. Development – Upgrade of existing and development of new syllabi for ‘Smart Environment and Climate Change Management’

Following the training in innovation, in order to upgrade the designed syllabi for SECCM, UNICT proposed to add the following courses:

- Climate change effects on coastal dynamics6 ECTS, 2 Credit Hours, 32 Theoretical hours, 0 Practical hours, Total hours 32 Elements of coastal hydrodynamics. Irrotational flows. Wind waves. Linear wave theory. Dispersion relation. Wave speed. Phase velocity. Energy flux. Group velocity. Wave transformation. Refraction, diffraction, shoaling, reflection, breaking. Wave setup. Wave generated currents. Littoral currents. Tidal currents. Generation and characterization of the winds. Geostrophic wind. Estimation of the wind on the sea surface. Sea states. Methods for wave hindcast and wave forecast (SMB, Spectral methods). Source of wind and wave data (10 H).Exercise: solving numerical problems concerning coastal hydrodynamics also by using a computer. Scientific languages: Fortran, Matlab (4H).Coastal morphology. Coastal bedforms. Sediments characterization. Cross-shore and long shore sediment transport. Sediment budget. Equilibrium beach profile. Erosive and accretive conditions. Diachronic analysis of shoreline evolution. Modeling shoreline evolution. Methods for monitoring the shoreline (6H).Solving numerical problems concerning coastal morphodynamics also by using a computer. Scientific languages: Fortran, Matlab (4H).Climate change effects in the coastal area. Mechanisms producing sea level rise. Possible negative effects of climate change: coastal flooding, costal erosion (beaches and dunes), exacerbation of the negative effects of subsidence, degradatation of coastal wetlands areas and salt marshes, saltwater contamination of groundwater. Coastal retreat due to level rise: the Brunn rule. Impacts on ecosystems due to climate change and repercussions on storms severity on the coast. Processes not related to climate change contributing to coastal erosion and retreat (8H).

- Adaptation strategies to climate change for hydraulic risk prevention in coastal areas 6 ECTS, 2 Credit Hours, 32 Theoretical hours, 0 Practical hours, Total hours 32Coastal services and functionalities. Description of coastal protection measures. Socio-economic impacts of climate changes in coastal areas. Mapping and analysis of the vulnerability of coastal systems to climate change. Numerical approaches to analyse the hydraulic vulnerability of the coastal areas (6H).

Exercise: use of computer programs to analyze the hydraulic vulnerability of coastal areas (4H).Interventions to protect the coast from flooding and erosion. Structural solutions. Hard structures: breakwaters, groins, revetments, sea walls. Design method of hard structures. Possible negative effects and conflicts induced by hard structures. Soft solutions: beach nourishments and subsidiary works for the containment of a nourishment, sediment by-pass. Soft solutions based on natural engineering interventions: revegetation, restoring sand dunes. Non structural solutions: implementation of a setback policy, make the public aware of the risks due to climate change.Design of coastal protection structures in view of future climate changes: oversizing of structures in view of more severe forcing, design of adaptable structures. Adaptation of existing structures and infrastructures to threats arising from climate changes. Accomodation strategies. Reduction of non-climatic stresses (14 H).Exercise: design of hard solutions, design of soft solutions (5H). Adaptation to climate change using the concepts of the integrated coastal zone management protocol (ICZM). Tecniques for stakeholder and communities involvement in the decision processes. Community mapping. The action plan (3H).

Following the discussion at NOA Training Week, UNICT proposed to add the following elective courses in order to integrate the outcomes of the training into the content of new syllabi:

- Adaptation and Mitigation to climate change in Spatial Planning 9 ECTS, 3 Credit Hours, 32 Theoretical hours, 32 Practical hours, 64 Total hoursIntroduction to spatial planning principles; Regional Plans, Landscape and Environment Protection Plans; Land Use Plans at urban scale; Climate change consequences on urban settlements; Land Use actions for contrasting effects of sea level rise in highly urbanized costal areas; Principles of Ecosystem Services; Green infrastructure and nature based solution for contrasting heat waves in dense urban settlements; Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems in land use plans, Energy efficiency of the city through Spatial Planning; New Forms of Urban agriculture for contrasting climate change consequences; Gis applications for risk reduction planning and management.

To the same end, EMUNI proposed to add the following elective course:

- Climate Change Policy of the EU - 6 ECTS, 2 Credit Hours, 32 Theoretical hours, 0 Practical hours, 32 Total

hoursThe European Union (EU) has long been seen as a leader in planning sustainable development and international climate policy. Its policy activities in the area of mitigating and adapting to climate change have had significant influence within and beyond Europe. This course approaches the EU’s policies with an interest for lessons learnt in both a national and global context.

AdapTM Climate Change Managementthrough Adaptation and Mitigation

Content: Review of multilateral environmental and climate governance; Competence, objectives and principles of the EU environmental policy; Internal and external dimensions of EU policies; Evolution of the EU climate policy; Motives for the policy; Actors in governance (EU institutions, Interest groups and actors outside the EU); Instruments of climate policy (regulatory, market-based and mixed or others); Public participation; The EU as an actor in global climate governance; Case studies of the EU’s governance approaches.

Egyptian partners also agreed to enlarge the contents and the descriptions of some SECCM courses through adding, when possible, topics related to climate change at urban context.