Fall 2012 Training on Climate Change Downscaling Approaches and Applications (CCDAA)
Introduction
United Nations University - Institute of Sustainability and Peace (UNU-ISP) cordially invites applicants for a 10-day training programme from 10th - 22nd November on Climate Change Downscaling Approaches and Applications (CCDAA) in Water and Food Sectors in Asia. The training module consists of the following course categories: science of climate change and downscaling, dynamical and statistical downscaling methods, and impacts on rice production and impacts on floods in Asia. Participants will also receive practical training in the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in downscaling and modelling extreme climatic events. The training programme will be conducted in Thailand.
The assessment will be based on a paper, presentations, and class participation. The courses are practically-oriented and will be taught by a highly qualified and diverse team of natural and social science scholars. Students who successfully complete the programme will be awarded a certificate of completion and a transcript from UNU-ISP. While a number of universities have negotiated credit transfer agreements with UNU-ISP, ultimately the decision on whether credits are transferable will be made by the student’s university.
Our International Applicants and Participants:
- Postgraduates, researchers or faculty staffs from universities working on climate change
- Professionals from government or national agencies involved in planning responses to climate change
- National climate change focal points
History
The training programme development began on 11th February 2011, and was developed under the UN-CECAR framework with the support of the Ministry of Environment of Japan and The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES). The programme has contributions from NCAR (University of Nebraska), USA, Meterological Research Institue of Japan, the University of Tokyo, Japan, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and Kharagpur, University of Philippines, Philippines, Nippon Koei Co. Ltd., Japan, Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand, Institute of Hydrology and Meterology, Viet Nam, and Institute for Social and Environmental Transition (ISET), USA. The training programme concept and development proceedings can be reviewed here.
Training Programme Information
Session 1: Downscaling Methods (5 days)
The programme runs for ten days from 10th to 20th November 2012 (Group A) and 12th to 22nd November (Group B). The first course of the training programme focuses on climate change, atmospheric science and downscaling techniques on statistical and dynamical approaches. Participants will receive training on downscaling weather forecasts to the local scale in Asia during this training programme.
Session 2: Parallel Sessions on Impacts on Floods and Impacts on Rice Production in Asia (5 days)
For the second course, participants will receive an overview of Course 1 and receive training on Geographic Information System (GIS). Then, participants can choose from the two parallel programmes on (a) Assessing flood impacts and (b) Estimating rice production utilizing future climate projections. The final day provides training on communicating results and report preparation, with time allocated for participants to complete their final report. Participants who successfully complete the training programme will be awarded a certificate of completion from UNU-ISP.
Faculty and Learning Environment
Students will benefit from working closely with an expert teaching faculty comprising distinguished UN-CECAR scholars and practitioners, and UNU-ISP academic staff. A dedicated computer lab will be provided for participants, with software to cater to the needs of the programme, including GIS, environmental modelling applications, and statistical analysis tools. An online tool will be provided for students to access lecture notes, reading lists and other materials specific to each course, as well as a message board and forum to facilitate discussion among faculty and students
Admission Requirements
Please review admission eligibility and additional services, and apply on-line at cecar.unu.edu/apply by 30th September 2012
http://cecar.unu.edu/groups/cecarweb/wiki/d3aa1/downscaling-training.html
