Increasingly frequent and severe wildfires, floods, and storm events raise concerns about how society can adapt to environmental change. The concept of social vulnerability is critical to identifying opportunities for adaptation. Social vulnerability refers to the geographic and socio-economic influences on the chance of harm to humans and the capacity of people to prepare and respond. Adaptations are strategies individuals, societies, or governments undertake in response to or anticipate environmental changes and climate threats.

This three-credit course will introduce students to the concepts of social vulnerability and adaptation as well as frameworks for assessing vulnerability and planning adaptation in human communities. The course will explore theories and methods for investigating social vulnerability and adaptation from a behavioral perspective. We will not address these concepts from an environmental policy or politics perspective. Students will learn about methods for evaluating exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity at different levels of social organization (individuals, communities, institutions), as well as approaches to designing vulnerability assessments and adaptation plans. The focus will be on climate change and related natural hazards relevant to coastal and inland areas, including wildfire, drought, flooding, sea level rise, and storm events. Small group discussions, projects, and conversations with practitioners will engage students in co-learning. By bringing different analytical perspectives and real-world case studies on vulnerability and adaptation, this class will help students understand, access, and promote sustainable and positive change in the face of accelerating global environmental changes.