Natural Disaster and Climate Change Risk Assessment in Infrastructure Projects from edX

Welcome to the Natural Disaster and Climate Change Risk Assessment in Infrastructure Projects course.

Climate change is real, and it affects many aspects of our lives. Temperatures are becoming progressively more extreme and natural disasters are increasingly frequent. We cannot prevent floods, earthquakes, and tornadoes...

But what can we do so that the damage caused has the least impact? How can we prevent our city’s infrastructure from suffering any damage and therefore put fewer people at risk? What kind of pre-project analyses do we need to perform so that we are prepared to address future climate change events?

Strengthen your technical and decision-making skills by incorporating climate change resilience and natural disaster risk analysis into the design of infrastructure projects.

This course was designed and organized by the Inter-American Institute for Economic and Social Development (INDES) of the Inter-American Development Bank within the framework of its Operations Learning Program (OLP). Its objective is to strengthen project teams’ capacity in Latin America and the Caribbean to preemptively manage events that may affect a project so as to improve its chance of success.

If you choose the Audit Track , you will have unlimited access to the course content, but you won't be able to complete the assessed activities or receive the certificate.

If you opt for the Verified Track , you can access the course in an unlimited way and complete the qualified evaluations until the closing date, after making a payment of USD 25 . If you pass, in addition to the verified certificate, you will obtain a digital badge that allows you to change the way you share your academic and professional achievements, as for example, on social media.

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What you'll learn

The general objective of the course is to strengthen the technical capacity of professionals involved in the project cycle for decision-making in relation to the incorporation of disaster risk assessment and resilience to climate change in the design of infrastructure projects.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

Identify the main elements of natural disaster risk.
Recognize the importance of incorporating natural disaster risk assessment (including climate change effects) into the infrastructure project cycle.
Carry out qualitative disaster-risk analyses to guide decision making in infrastructure projects.
Interpret quantitative disaster-risk analyses to guide decision making in infrastructure projects.
Identify when applying qualitative analyses is enough and when quantitative analyses should also be carried out to perform risk assessment in infrastructure projects.
Identify technical and economic feasibility of infrastructure projects through a qualitative or quantitative analysis.
Make risk-informed recommendations for the design, construction, and operation of infrastructures and develop disaster-risk-governance strategies.

What's inside

Syllabus

Module 1 - Conceptual Framework of Disaster Risk Management

Acknowledge the concept of disaster risk governance and climate change adaptation and recognize the importance of incorporating climate change and disaster risk assessment into infrastructure projects. The purpose is to improve understanding of dimensions of hazard, exposure, and vulnerability and its role in infrastructure projects.

Module 2: Qualitative Risk Analysis

Identify the key aspects of a qualitative disaster risk analysis to prioritize the risks that can affect an infrastructure project.

Assess when applying qualitative analyses is enough and when quantitative analyses should also be carried out to perform risk assessment in infrastructure projects.

Module 3: Quantitative Risk Analysis

Discover the key concepts related to quantitative risk analysis with the purpose of determining and measuring the impact and probability of the main risks that can affect infrastructure projects. Additionally, tools for the representation of risk are presented (F-N and F-D curves), that support decision making.

Module 4: Making Decisions Incorporating Disaster-Risk and Economic-Feasibility Analyses in Infrastructure Projects

Identify technical and economic feasibility concepts of infrastructure projects, to analyze investment alternatives.

Different quantitative indicators are shown to support decision making in the definition of sequences of investments. Additionally, the principles of efficiency and equity are developed.

Module 5: Disaster Risk Governance, Including Climate Change Adaptation

Learn the main components of risk governance. The methodological framework for the case study of IDB’s investment projects is developed for the incorporation of risk analysis in the cycle of infrastructure projects; and key aspects and principles for preparing terms of reference to perform quantitative disaster risk analyses are described.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Builds a strong foundation for beginners seeking to incorporate disaster risk assessment and climate change resilience into infrastructure project design

Taught by Sergio Lacambra and Ginés Suárez, recognized experts in disaster risk assessment and climate change adaptation

Provides a comprehensive study of disaster risk management, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative analyses

Offers hands-on labs and interactive materials to reinforce learning

May require additional software or tools that learners may need to purchase or have access to

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Natural Disaster and Climate Change Risk Assessment in Infrastructure Projects with these activities:

Review disaster management principles

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By reviewing the fundamental principles of disaster management, you will be better able to understand the concepts explored in this course.

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Read the FEMA Disaster Planning and Recovery Guide
Summarize the key principles of disaster management

Conduct a disaster risk assessment for a specific infrastructure project

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This exercise will provide hands-on practice in applying the concepts of disaster risk assessment to a real-world scenario. The assessment you conduct can serve as a valuable reference for your future work in infrastructure project development.

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Identify the project's location and scope
Identify the potential hazards that could affect the project
Assess the vulnerability of the project to these hazards
Develop mitigation measures to reduce the project's risk

Develop a disaster risk management plan for a community

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Creating a disaster risk management plan will give you the chance to apply the knowledge you've gained from this course to a practical and meaningful project.

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Identify the community's hazards and vulnerabilities
Develop goals and objectives for the plan
Identify strategies and actions to achieve the goals
Develop a monitoring and evaluation plan

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Career center

Learners who complete Natural Disaster and Climate Change Risk Assessment in Infrastructure Projects will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Disaster Risk Analyst

Disaster Risk Analysts assess the natural disaster risk and climate change impacts on communities and infrastructure. This course can help Disaster Risk Analysts develop the skills they need to do this by teaching them about the principles of disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, and qualitative and quantitative risk analysis.

See salaries and explore the career path for Disaster Risk Analyst

Climate Change Adaptation Specialist

Climate Change Adaptation Specialists develop and implement strategies to adapt to the impacts of climate change. This course can help Climate Change Adaptation Specialists develop the skills they need to do this by teaching them about the principles of disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, and qualitative and quantitative risk analysis.

See salaries and explore the career path for Climate Change Adaptation Specialist

Environmental Policy Analyst

Environmental Policy Analysts develop and analyze environmental policies. This course can help Environmental Policy Analysts develop the skills they need to do this by teaching them about the principles of disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, and qualitative and quantitative risk analysis.

See salaries and explore the career path for Environmental Policy Analyst

Sustainability Consultant

Sustainability Consultants help organizations to reduce their environmental impact and become more sustainable. This course can help Sustainability Consultants develop the skills they need to do this by teaching them about the principles of disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, and qualitative and quantitative risk analysis.

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City Planner

City Planners design and manage cities. They must be able to assess the natural disaster risk and climate change impacts on cities, and design them accordingly. This course can help City Planners develop the skills they need to do this by teaching them about the principles of disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, and qualitative and quantitative risk analysis.

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Transportation Engineer

Transportation Engineers design and manage transportation systems, such as roads and highways. They must be able to assess the natural disaster risk and climate change impacts on these systems, such as traffic congestion and accidents, and design them accordingly. This course can help Transportation Engineers develop the skills they need to do this by teaching them about the principles of disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, and qualitative and quantitative risk analysis.

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Geotechnical Engineer

Geotechnical Engineers design and analyze the foundations of buildings and other structures. They must be able to assess the natural disaster risk and climate change impacts on these foundations, such as soil erosion and liquefaction, and design them accordingly. This course can help Geotechnical Engineers develop the skills they need to do this by teaching them about the principles of disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, and qualitative and quantitative risk analysis.

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Environmental Engineer

Environmental Engineers design and implement solutions to environmental problems, such as water pollution and air pollution. They must be able to assess the natural disaster risk and climate change impacts on the environment, and design solutions accordingly. This course can help Environmental Engineers develop the skills they need to do this by teaching them about the principles of disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, and qualitative and quantitative risk analysis.

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Structural Engineer

Structural Engineers design and analyze the structural elements of buildings and other structures. They must be able to assess the natural disaster risk and climate change impacts on these structures, such as wind events and seismic events, and design them accordingly. This course can help Structural Engineers develop the skills they need to do this by teaching them about the principles of disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, and qualitative and quantitative risk analysis.

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Emergency Manager

Emergency Managers plan and manage emergency responses. They must be able to assess the natural disaster risk and climate change impacts on communities, and develop plans to respond to these events. This course can help Emergency Managers develop the skills they need to do this by teaching them about the principles of disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, and qualitative and quantitative risk analysis.

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Civil Engineer

Civil Engineers design and build infrastructure projects, such as roads, bridges, and buildings. They must be able to assess the natural disaster risk and climate change impacts on these projects, and design them accordingly. This course can help Civil Engineers develop the skills they need to do this by teaching them about the principles of disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, and qualitative and quantitative risk analysis.

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Water Resources Engineer

Water Resources Engineers design and manage water resources systems, such as dams and reservoirs. They must be able to assess the natural disaster risk and climate change impacts on these systems, such as flooding and droughts, and design them accordingly. This course can help Water Resources Engineers develop the skills they need to do this by teaching them about the principles of disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, and qualitative and quantitative risk analysis.

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Climate Scientist

Climate Scientists study the climate and climate change. This course can help Climate Scientists develop the skills they need to do this by teaching them about the principles of disaster risk management and climate change adaptation.

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Resilience Officer

Resilience Officers develop and implement strategies to make communities more resilient to disasters. This course may be useful for Resilience Officers by teaching them about the principles of disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, and qualitative and quantitative risk analysis.

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Mitigation Specialist

Mitigation Specialists develop and implement strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This course may be useful for Mitigation Specialists by teaching them about the principles of disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, and qualitative and quantitative risk analysis.

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