Short Intensive Courses

Course 3.3: Climate-Smart Ecosystem Restoration of Degraded Rivers in Ghana
Credits: 3 ECTS
Target group: Graduate students, National service personnel and undergraduate students
in Watershed Management and Natural Resources Management.

Methods: This would be a short intensive course (4 days + homework) drawing real examples of rivers impacted from various anthropogenic activities. The course would provide real scenarios for participants to explore the best options for rehabilitating degraded rivers and water bodies. The course delivery will be done through interactive lectures, powerpoint presentations, videos and reading assignment. Real Scenario analyses of degraded rivers will be undertaken by participants. Course participants would explore and present options for rehabilitation of a particular degraded river, and best options available. Participants students would read various articles based on the subject matter and provide summaries of the article. The submission will be peer-evaluated among student grouping. At the end of the course students will also make a powepoint presentation in Pairs.

Course outcomes: After the course, students should have in-depth and extensive
knowledge on the causative factors of river and aquatic ecosystem degradation and options
available for restoration. This knowledge can be extrapolated to similar tropical ecosystems
for restoration purposes. Key concepts are ecosystem services and degradation, effects of
climate change, geopolitical mechanisms to finance restoration of degraded ecosystems

Course 3.4: Technology and impact assessment for sustainable agricultural transformation

Credits: 5 ECTS

Target group: students/researchers in Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Resource
economics, Resource management, Food systems, Policy planning and evaluation

Methods: This course will be a short Intensive course, offered two times during the project,
first and second year. Lecturing, group work, student presentation, exercises, behavioral
experiments, case-based stakeholder debate. Transferable skills taught multi-criteria and stakeholder perspective, critical reflection

Course outcomes: Students will enablers to and barriers against transitioning to climate-
smart agriculture

Course 3.5: Effective Fire management in changing climate of natural and planted
landscapes in Ghana

Credits: 5 ECTS

Target group: undergraduates, postgraduates, national service, Fire Services

Methods: The participants will be introduced to basic fire science including concept of fire,
fire behaviour and factors, causes and effects of fire as well as fire and climate change
relationship. They will also be exposed to different options for fire risk, danger and behaviour
determination. They will further be presented with fire management planning, practical
approaches for managing fires and basic monitoring and evaluation in fire management.
Opportunity will be given to participants individually and in groups to determine fire risk,
danger and behaviour, develop basic fire management plan with prescriptions for the best
options for management.

The courses will be delivered through interactive lectures, power-point presentation, videos,
group desktop research and presentations. It will also be delivered through group
assignments and peer assessment.
*Equip participants with the knowledge of basic fire science concepts, relationship between
fire and climate change and fire management options.
*Enable participants to identify the causes and effects of fire incidence in natural and planted
landscapes.
*Equip participants with skills to determine fire risk and danger, predict fire behaviour and
develop basic fire management plan with appropriate prescriptions or strategies for fire
prevention and control
*Promote team-work among participants in fire management

Course Outcomes: At the end of the course, participants are expected to:
*demonstrate understanding of basic fire science concepts, relationship between climate
change and fire and fire management options
*be able to identify the causes and effects of fire incidence in natural and planted landscapes
*be able to determine fire risk and danger, predict fire behaviour and develop fire
management plan with appropriate strategies for fire management.
*be able to work as a team in fire management

Course 3.6: Urban forestry for climate change

Credits: 10 ECTS

Target group: Continuing education MSc students

Methods: The course(programme) will cover forest policy formulation, practical implementation of forest projects, leadership skills, urban forestry business and entrepreneurship, and stakeholder engagement. In addition, the course will look at other aspects of urban planning,
landscape architecture, green infrastructure development, arboriculture, geographic information system, water-sensitive urban design and management of trees and related vegetation in and around cities. This course is designed to provide practical skill sets and
competencies to District (Municipal or Urban) Planning Officers, Quasi-planning government organizations, non-profit organizations, other public agencies, and the private sector connected with the town and country planning, and maintenance of urban green space. The objective of the course is to train a new generation of urban planners and policy-makers who consider forestry as an integral part of urban built-up ecosystems. In addition, understand the role of green spaces in strengthening the environmental resilience and adaptation of cities to the impact of climate change.

Course outcomes:
*· Integrate biological and social science concepts into an urban green project designed to
address a specific urban forestry situation, issue, or problem.
*Improve knowledge and understanding of critical urban forestry issues to prepare for
advancement in the field.
*Gain in-depth knowledge and understanding of the relationship between natural and built
environments in the cities
*Demonstrate proficiency in integrating urban forestry into the physical planning of the urban
environment.
*Develop practical skills and competencies in formulating urban forestry policies to promote
smart city concepts in the advent of climate change.
*Demonstrate the use of green infrastructure to control natural hazards notable floods,
landslides, siltation, urban heat islands, stormwater and rainstorms.

Course Teachers

1.Dr. Osei Owusu Antobre https://studentuef-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/abulr_uef_fi/ESIFAXLTDaZMpgVTWAOpqAABKrh_uS6jCGMJWvg9ch79Cg?e=Htcc5H

2. Dr. Maxwell Taabazuing https://studentuef-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/abulr_uef_fi/EYuc6MdrOuBEsHg2-Sv6I_oB2rnUe_wWdokqJpoMu_85_g?e=GEjaeV

3.Dr. Nat Owusu-Prempeh https://studentuef-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/abulr_uef_fi/ERiCYkO1TNlOvLEjgZc87sYBamjokn_ohIRRD5dfmK8sag?e=1la0gD

4. Dr. Collins Adjei Mensah https://studentuef-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/abulr_uef_fi/ERiCYkO1TNlOvLEjgZc87sYBamjokn_ohIRRD5dfmK8sag?e=hukaE2

Course 3.7: Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management

Credits: 24 ECTS

Target Groups: MSc-level students

Methods: The objective of the course is to train a new generation of disaster management
experts, planners and policy-makers who consider disaster risk reduction in the advent of
climate change as an integral part of urban built-up ecosystems. In addition, understand the
role of policies and laws in strengthening environmental resilience and mitigating the impact
of climate change-induced disasters in built-up ecosystems.
The pedagogical approach of the course will be based on student-centred teaching methods,
lectures, problem-solving and practical demonstration. Most of the teaching and learning
material will be made available in advance via Moodle. A mixed delivery method will be
adopted, this involves both online teachings using zoom and face-to-face teaching interaction
for 10 weeks. This consists of 4 weeks of online teaching and 6 weeks of classroom-based
teaching (an intensive face-to-face interaction).
● Concepts in disaster risk reduction and management
● Legislations and policies in disaster risk reduction
● Hazard mapping, vulnerability and risk assessment
● Earth Observation based data for the multi-hazard and multi-disaster-monitoring
● Development and implementation of early warning systems
● Stakeholders and communities engagement in disaster management
● Disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness response and relief
● Media communication and reporting natural disaster
● Biosafety, communicable diseases surveillance and epidemiology

Course Outcomes: By the end of the course students should be able to:
● Demonstrate skills in handling emergencies involving disease outbreaks, particularly
mobilization and relief preparedness
● Synthesize scientific information from a variety of sources and demonstrate
research and writing skills
● Demonstrate the ability to use of Earth Observation based data for the multi-hazard
and multi-disaster-monitoring.
● Demonstrate improved knowledge and understanding of critical disaster
management techniques and development of early warning systems
● Conduct an integrated risk assessment of flood disaster
● Improve knowledge and understanding of the relationship between climate and
geohazards in the city environments.
● Demonstrate proficiency in integrated disaster risk mapping into the physical
planning of urban areas.
● Demonstrate skills and competencies in formulating disaster risk reduction policies
to promote the smart city concept in the advent of climate change