1 November – 4 December 2023
5.45pm - 9.45pm AEDT

Supporting informed decision‑making throughout the Indian Ocean.

Nomination deadline is Thursday 12 October 2023 (11.55pm AEDT).

Funded by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), this course is open to government officials from IORA Member States only: Bangladesh, the Comoros, France, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

To nominate for this course, first read 'The Application Process' below and then complete the nomination form here or click the Register online button on the top right of this page.

Course Convener: Dr Steven Crimp

Climate change is the most significant environmental, social and economic challenge of our time. Across the Indian Ocean region, communities are increasingly challenged by the diverse and multiple physical impacts of climate change, such as rising sea levels, increasing frequency and intensity of cyclones, droughts, floods and storm surges, ambient heat waves, warming sea temperatures, and ocean acidification.

To support decision-makers across our region, ICEDS has developed the Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation short course for professionals. This course provides participants with an understanding of climate change impacts across the Indian Ocean, adaptation and mitigation options available, and the challenges to be overcome.

As a participant in this course, you will be presented with information that will help you to identify and define climate change impacts and vulnerability, the policy and development implications of different climate change adaptation and mitigation options, and the legal frameworks, governance, sectoral contexts and socio-economic rationales underpinning climate change adaptation and mitigation. This course is interactive with a mix of lectures and group discussions, providing participants with learning opportunities from leading ANU academics and industry experts.

On completion of the course, you will have developed a deeper understanding of climate change adaptation and mitigation. You will also have acquired knowledge to assist evidence-based policy development and reform, enhance your interpretation and analysis skills, and have discussed different socio-economic impacts and policy interventions.

Module Topics

• Understanding climate change, emissions and extremes
• Why climate change adaptation? Understanding drivers of action, moving from science to policy/practice
• Anticipatory action and gender considerations in climate change adaptation
• Health, water and food security in a changing world

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, it is expected that participants who successfully completed all tasks will have the skills and knowledge to:

• Understand the key foundational and advanced concepts and practices for effective climate change adaptation policy development and implementation. Also, a comprehension of the political, socioeconomic, regional and international risks, costs and benefits these may entail.
• Understand the science behind climate change impact and vulnerability assessment, including data collection and monitoring/surveillance mechanisms. Also, a comprehension of the methods and tools for developing and accessing climate change adaptation options with stakeholders.
• Understand the application of environmental regulation and other legal aspects of governance as socio‑ecological systems in which human behaviour management is an intrinsic component.
• Identify and critically consider the core components of international and regional legal frameworks, treaties and institutions for responding to climate change for policy makers.
• Understand the complexities of national and regional coordination around climate change adaptation at different scales of governance, from the complexities of effective engagement with traditionally marginalised stakeholders, to the complexities of multi-lateral action.
• Share challenges and contextual differences in climate change adaptation across the region, and the regional and national legal and policy responses and opportunities.

Assignment: Adaptation Action Plan

Participants will be assisted during the course to develop an Adaptation Action Plan (AAP). The AAP assignment runs throughout the course, with sessions devoted to AAP development. The development of the AAP is self-directed but with support from the Course Convenor and AAP Mentors. In developing the AAP, we ask participants to consider their country and organisational context to identify the type of adaptation action they will plan for, who the active stakeholders are, anticipated timelines, and expected outcomes. At the Concluding Seminar, participants present their AAPs within the online classroom to their fellow participants.

The presentation of an AAP is one of the mandatory requirements to qualify for an ANU Certificate of Completion for this course.

Workloads and Completion Requirements

This course will be online and delivered over 3 phases:

• Pre-Course Seminar (1 - 2 November 2023, 5.45pm-8.45pm AEDT each day)
• Main Course (6 - 9 November and 14 - 16 November 2023, 5.45pm - 8.00pm AEDT each day)
• Post-Course Seminar (4 December 2023, 5.45pm - 9.45pm AEDT).

Each session will include:

• Pre-reading materials
• Questions on notice
• Lectures (which may include multiple presenters and guest speakers)
• Group discussions/Question & answer sessions, and/or
• Feedback surveys.

To qualify for an ANU Certificate of Completion from the course, participants must (as a minimum):

• Attend at least 50% of the online sessions (at least 10 out of 19) – recordings will aim to be available for those that are missed.
• Complete and submit the assignment by the due date, prior to the Concluding Seminar.
• Submit at least two online posts (questions or comments) to the course’s online Moodle discussion board.

Pre-Requisites for this Course

To nominate for this course, you must be a government official from an IORA Member State (states are listed at the top of this page).

The course will be taught in English, and participants must have good English language proficiency (written and spoken).

Participants must hold a professional mid-level or senior-level government position in policy, practice, research or reform. Participants must also have completed secondary schooling and at least three years of tertiary education, have at least 3-5 years of work experience at mid to senior levels, and have a reasonably good base-level understanding of the subject matter.

As participation in this course is likely to intersect with and impact on your work duties, all nominations for this course must include a signed Letter of Support. See 'The Application Process' below for more information about this.

Who Should Apply

We encourage professionals working in an IORA Member State government on issues related to climate change and energy transition to nominate for this course.

The Application Process

To nominate for this course, you will need to complete the online nomination form. The form includes questions relating to your demographics, country, language proficiency, current and previous relevant work experience, and reasons for applying for this course.

The nomination form must be fully completed and submitted by the closing deadline if you wish to be considered for this short course. 

To complete the nomination form, you will need to upload 3-4 files (max. file size = 100MB each). These files are a mandatory part of the nomination process. They are:

1. Evidence of your English language proficiency (if English is not your first or primary language) - this must be one of the following:
   • IELTS test score (dated within the past 10 years),
   • TOEFL test score (dated within the past 10 years), OR
   • a recent sample of your formal writing (dated within the past 10 years, (e.g.) academic paper, policy brief, business plan, etc.) with the sample clearly showing you as the primary author.
2. A formal Letter of Support demonstrating your organisation's support for your nomination.
3. An updated curriculum vitae or resume.

Letter of Support

You must attach a Letter of Support (on official letterhead) from your employer and signed by a supervisor, stating that they support your nomination for this course. We recommend that you use the sample letter here:  Sample Letter of Support (DOC, 22 KB).

Please Note: Your Letter of Support should reflect a clear understanding of the time commitment for course participation (i.e. approximately 25 contact hours online, at least 5 hours of pre-session reading, and at least 7 hours to complete the assignment). The Letter of Support is mandatory, and nominations without an official and signed letter will be marked as incomplete.

All complete and valid nominations will be reviewed, and successful applicants will be informed via email approximately 1 week before the course commences.