UPOU and SEARCA address climate change adaptation and disaster risk management through online course for planners, researchers, and development professionals.The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) through its Faculty of Management and Development Studies (FMDS) is now accepting applications to the 10-week non-formal online course on "Integrating Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management in Policies, Plans and Investments toward Inclusive and Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development" (ICCADRM4ISARD).
The 10-week course will be offered on 18 July-26 September 2015. It is intended for government planners and technical staff at the regional, national, and local levels as well as researchers and practitioners from centers of excellence and private organizations.
This online course is designed as a foundational introduction into the functional elements of inclusive and sustainable agricultural and rural development (ISARD) as reframed through the interaction of policies, strategies, and projects involving climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk management (DRM). It provides an update on the discourse of CCA and DRM and further introduces specific CCA and DRM methodologies and tools for practical applications.
The FMDS is also currently offering "Responding to Climate Risks in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management" (RCRANRM). Both courses are offered in collaboration with the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and UPOU Foundation, Inc.
SEARCA believes that offering these courses online makes them more accessible to more learners. For FMDS, this is another opportunity to concretize open and distance e-learning in support of national development. (Eleanor Payawal-Manipol)