Climate Adaptation and the Law

(Formerly called Climate Adaptive Management) This course introduces students to the legal and policy considerations driving adaptation responses to current and expected climate change impacts. Domestic and international adaptation strategies for water management, ocean and coastal resources, habitats, transportation and energy infrastructure, and public health, among others, will be studied. Management of risks posed by climate change will be examined through a lens of uncertainty about projected impacts. In particular, the course will explore emerging approaches, such as collaborative decision making and consensus building, to develop legal and policy responses in the face of uncertainty. Students will be graded via a power point presentation in class that will focus on a particular aspect of adaptation law and policy. This class will meet for the second half of the spring semester. Detailed schedule online.