This module leads participants through the climate risk assessment process and equips them with the knowledge and skills required to design a climate risk assessment. It distinguishes between highly technical assessments requiring bespoke modelling and assessments based on a combination of readily available information and participatory approaches. Participants will learn how to undertake the latter and will understand some of the complexities and limitations of the former.

The module consists of the following two sessions, each of which includes short interactive exercises. It also includes a detailed exercise in which participants undertake a light-touch climate risk assessment.

I. Scope and structure of a climate risk assessment

• Risk or vulnerability assessment? 
• Key components of an assessment
• Establishing the scope of an assessment
• Approaches – technical, participatory, etc.
• Who should be involved?
• Assessing current risks
• Assessing future risks
• Outputs of a climate risk assessment

II. Use of data in climate risk assessments

• Using climate data
• Some key sources of climate data
• Climate scenarios & uncertainty
• Robust decision-making
• Risk assessment in data scarce contexts 
• Integrating scientific & local information

Exercise

For a specific context, participants employ user-friendly data platforms and information sources to identify key hazards, impacts and vulnerabilities, and assess how these might change in future, identifying data gaps and key areas of uncertainty. They consider who might be engaged in a participatory climate risk assessment in this context and identify some possible adaptation actions.  

This is the third of five modules in our Adapting to Climate Change Course.