UN Global Sustainable Solutions Winter School

A world-class program designed to fill a critical gap in experience for future sustainability leaders

Winter landscape and a group of logos, including: United Nations University, UMass Amherst, UMass Boston, PEDRR, UNU-CRIS, UNU-EHS, UNU-MERIT, UMass Amherst School of Public Policy, McMaster University, and UMass Amherst School of Earth & Sustainability

About the program

The UN Global Sustainable Solutions Winter School is a knowledge exchange platform and opportunity to learn practical skills while networking with practitioners and scholars. The Winter School provides an international approach to the following topics, including Nature-based Solutions for Disaster Risk Reduction (ECO-DRR) and Climate Adaptation; and Water Security, enhancing understanding of the processes and conditions needed for safe, secure, sustainable, and sufficient water for community development; and emerging issues. 

Since its creation in 2020, the Winter School has reached over 200 students across the globe, half of which are UMass Amherst students. 

 

Learn more about the program Watch the lecture recordings

Winter School 2027 is coming!

The call for the next session of the UN Global Sustainable Solutions Winter School is coming! The SES graduate school network will be the first to know with early invitation to apply for this training program delivered in partnership with Dr. Marta Vicarelli, London School of Economics and Political Science and Senior Faculty Affiliate with the School of Earth & Sustainability. 

Meet last year's SES Winter School Fellows Meet last year's SES Winter School Fellows

Background

The UN Global Sustainable Solutions Winter School is a collaboration between...

 

"Ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR) is the sustainable management, conservation, and restoration of ecosystems to reduce disaster risk, to achieve sustainable and resilient development (Estrella and Saalismaa, 2013). Well-managed ecosystems, such as wetlands, forests, and coastal systems, act as natural infrastructure, reducing physical exposure to many hazards and increasing the socio-economic resilience of people and communities by sustaining local livelihoods and providing essential natural resources such as food, water and building materials (Morawetz and Nehren, 2005; Sudmeier-Rieux and Ash, 2009). Ecosystem management not only offers an opportunity to strengthen natural infrastructure and human resilience against hazard impacts, but also generates a range of other social, economic, and environmental benefits for multiple stakeholders, which in turn feed back into reduced risk."

CNRD-PEDRR (2013) Disasters, Environment and Risk Reduction – Eco-DRR Master’s Module. Cologne and Geneva: Center for Natural Resources and Development, Partnership on Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction.

 

Leadership

Woman with brown hair and glasses smiles at camera
Marta Vicarelli
Organizer

Assistant Professor, Department of Economics and School of Public Policy, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Contact: @email

Website

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Nidhi Nagabhatla
Co-coordinator

Senior Research Fellow and Cluster Coordinator of Climate and Natural Resources at the United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS)

Adjunct Professor, Department of Earth, Environment & Society, McMaster University

UNU Climate Resilience Initiative Coordination Team

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Sanae Okamoto
Collaborator

Researcher at the United Nations University Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT)

UNU Climate Resilience Initiative Coordination Team

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Zita Sebesvari
Collaborator

Deputy Director of UNU Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS)