BSc International Disaster Management & Humanitarian Response / Course details

What mobilities and immobilities are entailed in disaster? How do disasters impact the (im)mobilities of different populations? What interventions are possible, appropriate, and desirable? Focusing on a range of severe weather events projected to increase in frequency and/or severity under a changing climate, this course examines disasters through the lens of mobility, including the movements of people, goods, information, and services. Students will gain a deeper understanding of the links between mobility and climate change, including the contribution of fossil-fuelled transport to climate change and the challenges related to providing transport mobility when responding to weather-related disasters. This course will provide an overview of theory and cases in the interdisciplinary field of mobilities research, illustrating the value that a mobilities perspective brings to global health, disaster, humanitarian, and conflict response. Students will critically analyse cases related to forest fires, heat waves, hurricanes, and more, gaining an understanding of key theories linking disaster, mobilities, and climate change, including mobility justice, disaster capitalism, and the figure of the climate refugee.

• Understand range of severe weather events expected, and already experienced, under a changing climate
• Understand relationship between mobilities and climate change with global health, disaster, humanitarian, and conflict response
• Understand impacts of severe weather events on the (im)mobilities of different groups, particularly vulnerable groups (e.g. class, gender, race)
• Understand key theories linking mobilities and climate change with disaster, humanitarian, and conflict response

• Learn theories and concepts linking mobilities and climate change with global health, disaster, humanitarian, and conflict response
• Develop critical understanding of the (im)mobilities of people, goods, information, policies, practices, protests, and ecologies entailed in severe weather events
• Develop understanding of different disasters and their representation (e.g. slow versus fast onset, high versus low profile),
• Develop an understanding of the types of social crises that can result from weather-related disasters, comparing resource rich and resource poor regions

• Critically interrogate academic and non-academic (e.g. social media, news media) sources on the topics of climate change, disasters, and mobility
• Understand and apply key theoretical concepts including climate refugees, disaster capitalism, mobility justice
• Understand difference between experiences in Global North and Global South
• Develop an ability to use primary sources as a means for developing academic arguments

• Understand the many facets of climate change, disasters, and mobility and use this to develop and assess appropriate humanitarian interventions in future crises
• Develop a creative project to inform the general public of links between climate change, disasters, and mobility
• Write a critical essay demonstrating research skills

• Develop a creative project to communicate academic knowledge to a wider audience
• Develop specialist knowledge in the areas of climate change, disasters, and mobility applicable to future careers
• Identify thematic links between diverse extreme weather events, as well as dynamics particular to specific places and events
• Develop sensitivity for the complex issues facing individuals and communities confronted with (im)mobilities during disasters exacerbated by climate change

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Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 2012. Summary for Policymakers. In: Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation. A Special Report of Working Groups I and II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

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