B0055 - POPULATION AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Learning outcomes

Climate change is no longer an abstract future threat. Human population is at the central of the climate system. A demographic perspective is hence critical for understanding, on the one hand, the impact of human activities on the global climate, and, on the other hand, the impacts of climate change on human population. Upon successful completing of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to: 1) demonstrate an understanding of how human population contributes to anthropogenic climate change taking into account demographic heterogeneity; 2) demonstrate an understanding of how anthropogenic climate change differentially affects human health, wellbeing and livelihoods; 3) critically evaluate and explain different scientific and statistical evidence employed to study the links between population dynamics and climate change; 4) conduct research through the consultation of academic literature and/or through the collection and analysis of data; 5) work in groups and develop class discussions.

Course contents

• Introduction to population and climate change interactions
• Climate change and demographic heterogeneity (e.g. age, gender, education, income, locations)
• Population and energy consumption/carbon emissions
• Population, water and food
• Climate change and health and mortality
• Climate change and family and fertility
• Climate change and migration
• Climate change and future population dynamics

Readings/Bibliography

Bongaarts, J. (2023). Population and environment: The evolution of the debate between optimists and pessimists. Population and Environment, 45(2), 11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11111-023-00424-5

Hunter, L. M., Gray, C., & Véron, J. (Eds.). (2022). International Handbook of Population and Environment. Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76433-3_1

Lutz, W., & Muttarak, R. (2017). Forecasting societies’ adaptive capacities through a demographic metabolism model. Nature Climate Change, 7(3), 177–184. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate3222

Muttarak, R. (2021). Demographic perspectives in research on global environmental change. Population Studies, 75(sup1), 77–104. https://doi.org/10.1080/00324728.2021.1988684

Teaching methods

Lectures with slides, seminars, web resources, scientific articles, working groups.

The course will use the platform virtuale.unibo.it, students are advised to register on the platform.

Assessment methods

Attending students

For students attending class regularly, the final evaluation will be composed by two parts:

1. Group or individual project/assignment. Instructions on the project will be distributed in class. (60% of the final grade)
2. Final exam (40% of the final grade)

Non-attending students

For those who do not attend the classes, the final evaluation will be composed by two parts:

1. Research essay (50% of the final grade)
2. Final exam (50% of the final grade)

Teaching tools

Slides, videos

Links to further information

https://virtuale.unibo.it

Office hours

See the website of Raya Muttarak