Dangriga, Belize student presentation

Planning for Climate Change: Seminar + Field Study in Belize

3 credits for seminar, or 4 credits for seminar + travel

  • Seminar:  Professor Elisabeth Hamin, emhamin@larp.umass.edu
  • Travel:  Co-Instructors Hamin + E. deOliviera

Class time TBA, likely Tuesday 2:30 – 3:45
Travel dates:  Spring Break (March 11 – 19)

Preparing communities to respond flexibly and well to climate change and disaster is one of the most pressing global urban problems today. But responses such as green infrastructure and sustainable land use needs to grounded in local goals and culture, and to improve residents’ daily life as well.  If you are curious about planning for climate change and disaster resilience, and want to learn about different experiences and cultures in a moderate-income country, join this seminar + field study course on planning for climate change and disaster resilience in beautiful Caribbean Belize.

 Students in Dangriga

Key learning goals:

  • Assure or develop basic knowledge of science and policy frameworks for climate change;
  • Gain familiarity with planning processes in a developing country context;
  • Learn how to conduct a vulnerability analysis for climate change and disaster resilience;
  • Develop knowledge of hazard-resilient infrastructure and urban form policies;
  • Develop research skills through preparation of a climate-change/resilience plan;
  • Practice participatory planning through listening to and addressing residents’ concerns, and building awareness of your own underlying assumptions;
  • Communicate professional/theoretical knowledge to community residents and decision-makers.

Course Details:  The course is open to 5-college students in all disciplines, and will build on your existing skills and knowledge.  Most students will be Seniors or graduate students; other undergrads need permission of the instructor. There is an additional charge for the travel, currently estimated at $1,950 program fee (all lodging; some meals; excursions including snorkeling, cave-tubing, visiting a Mayan archeological site and wildlife sanctuaries; and in-country travel); a final budget will be available by November. Airfare, some meals, and minor spending money are additional.  Our community project will be in Dangriga, on the south coast of Belize. You can stay on in the region after the official course is completed.

Field work in Dangriga

You must take the seminar to go on the field trip, but you can take the class without the trip.  Please see the website http://i2ud.org/BMDP/ for more on the status of municipal planning in Belize.