Climate Change, Rights, and Development

The fundamental behavior of the Earth's climate system is now quite well understood, including, in a first order way, the spatial and temporal scales of natural variability that occur from the rhythmic change of seasons to irregular El Nino cycles, longer period changes and the distribution and frequency of extreme events like cyclones, droughts and floods. From this basis it is possible to predict perturbations to the climate system in terms of climate zone spatial distribution and variability, including extremes. 

But there is far less agreement at the political and policy levels in terms of the consequences for human rights that climate change will bring about, and the relative responsibilities for mitigating climate change and financing adaptation. What is clear is that across the world the outcomes of climate change will be very uneven both in economic and human terms. The potential for vast global inequities in direct and indirect effects of global climate change is very real. This course will explore the critical nexus between climate change, development, and human rights. It will also, and importantly bridge, the science related to climate change; the many ways that changes in weather patterns affect humans; the global institutional architecture for addressing climate change; and the major debates on climate change that take place within the spheres of politics, economics, and civil society.