BEXP 12A12 - Coastal Cities and Disaster Management

This course examines the intricate relationship between urban coastal areas, climate change, and the governance of risks, crises, and disasters from a geographic and political science perspective. The unique vulnerabilities of coastal urban areas to the impacts of climate change will be examined, alongside an analysis of the pivotal role of politics and policy in mitigating and responding to these challenges. Students will delve into the political, social, and environmental dimensions of coastal cities' challenges in facing a changing environment and the policies and governance strategies for promoting sustainability and resilience. The class will explore how the existing frameworks, tools and instruments to deal with risk, crisis and disasters, that may be used in the context of climate change risks. Each session will be dedicated to discussing key notions through text analysis, providing students with the opportunity to work on case studies. The students will also participate in a collaborative project with the City of Le Havre, conducting a territorial diagnosis of one neighborhood vulnerability and resilience.

Cassandre REY-THIBAULT

Séminaire

English

Spring 2024-2025

To validate the course, the student is expected to pass the following assignments (at least three grades): 1°) Class Participation: Oral participation and weekly text reading will be part of the final grade - 10% 2°) Fieldwork in le Havre: Students, in group 3 or 4, will analyze one dimension of Le Havre case study on “vulnerability and resilience diagnosis” in St François neighborhood, and present it to their classmate, in form of an oral presentation, during the last session, 50% 3°) Reading review: each student will have to write a review of one of the weekly mandatory readings (2 pages), that will also include a graphic production of their own (a map, a schematic, a graph). The graphic production could also be related to the weekly case study (to practice and/or improve grades) – 40%

At the end of the course, the student is expected to : 1°) Understanding key notions of the science of climate change and its specific impacts on coastal cities, as well as an understanding of key concepts of risks, crisis and disasters and their management 2°) Being able to analyze the governance and policy in addressing climate change challenges, through case studies of coastal cities and their strategies for adaptation and disaster response 3°) Developing skills of geographical analysis: data collection for territorial diagnosis, graphic production, understanding and analysis of existing literature