Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Network

Royal Roads' Prof. Robin Cox launched the Adaptation Learning Network in 2019, funded by Natural Resources Canada and the BC government.

We're losing more to climate change and disasters than ever before. Those working on the frontlines need new knowledge and skills to anticipate and respond to social, economic and environmental challenges. But there’s nowhere for them to get that training. That’s why Professor Robin Cox launched the Adaptation Learning Network (ALN) in 2019, funded by Natural Resources Canada & the BC government.
GOAL

The risks and impacts of climate change and disasters are accelerating rapidly. Extreme weather events have almost doubled over the last twenty years, costing billions of dollars in damage to global economies through ripple effects that can last decades. And the costs are not only economic. Global warming is amplifying social and economic inequities and injustices, and posing significant and growing risks to our health, our economies, our natural environments, and our communities.

This crisis demands a new kind of leadership, from governments, industry and those already working on the frontlines - the kind of leadership that can't be taught in traditional academic programs. Climate adaptation leaders need new kinds of learning opportunities to develop specific knowledge, skills and relationships that cut across disciplines, sectors and domains. They also need to learn to translate natural and climate science from abstract concepts into tangible threats and opportunities - then mobilize society to adapt to the effects of disasters and climate change as they escalate.

The Adaptation Learning Network responds to this need through applied learning and collaboration activities for professionals working in natural resource sectors and municipal and regional governments in British Columbia.
APPROACH

But figuring out how to get better at climate change adaptation in a hurry is a complex challenge. The world is different than it's ever been. And the future is uncertain. So we designed an approach that would enable us to learn in real time what it takes to work on the frontlines of adapting to climate change.

Competency Framework

Our first task was to discover what adaptation competencies working professionals need to be effective in leading and contributing to climate adaptation strategies. To do that, we engaged with climate experts across sectors to examine existing and future roles and responsibilities in adaptation. At the same time, we reached out to 55,000 industry association professionals to identify needs and gaps in their current knowledge and skill sets. With that research, we’re developing the first Climate Change Adaptation Competency Framework (CCAF) in Canada. This model will be available to individuals and employers, to help match skills to jobs and training for the future workforce.

Course Development

Once we identified the learning needs of today's professionals, we then had to figure out how best to meet them. We knew that training had to be easy to access, practical and led by experts. We also wanted to focus on meeting local needs in British Columbia.

So we brought together top talent from across 7 post-secondary institutions to develop and offer a portfolio of 11 online courses. Each course was designed specifically for BC professionals, to equip them to recognize the physical, biological, economic and community risks and impacts of climate change in the sectors and regions where they work. Each course includes open access resources that anyone can reuse or remix to advance climate adaptation learning across the globe.

Professional Network

However, we also knew that effective climate adaptation would require more than professional training. It calls for changes in the way we collaborate across sectors, disciplines and cultures.

Climate change affects people and the planet at a system level. Developing a specific adaptation like a seawall to minimize erosion from storm surges and sea level rise, or a prescribed burn strategy for wildfires, can create unexpected or undesirable consequences in other parts of an ecosystem or community. So we knew we’d need to learn to bring a systems lens to our work. That would mean opening up the way we work and learn from others who may have different expertise and experiences.

To do this in a way that maximizes impact and innovation, the ALN also fosters a social learning community, which connects experts and learners from diverse disciplines and cultures – including First Nations – to share knowledge and tools. Through existing professional associations, mainstream and social media, we're finding, producing and publishing practical adaptation content, resources and tools - and making it easy for Network professionals to do the same. By building bridges across sectors, disciplines and communities, we expect the Network to make BC's approach to climate change more effective and consistent.
OUTCOMES

The ALN is building a critical foundation for climate adaptation leadership and capacity-building across British Columbia. As of December 2020, it has already uncovered hidden challenges in existing approaches to professional adaptation education, as well as opportunities for future learning activities.

The Climate Change Adaptation Competency Framework will be the first of its kind in the world. Available as an open resource, its use by employers and policy-makers across sectors will accelerate our national capacity to anticipate and respond to current and future climate challenges.

The Courses have attracted learners from across the globe. Through participatory learning methods, they’ve applied course concepts and tools to real-world projects in their own regions and domains that have already helped dozens of organizations from municipalities to industry prepare for future climate risks.

The Network brings ideas and insights from members and the adaptation community together to find synergies and extend learning opportunities. By sharing practices and resources among over 1000 participants, the ALN will maximize our ability to minimize risk and damage from the climate emergency in the future.

Disasters and climate change threaten our hopes and dreams, our lives, our future.

But it's not too late to reduce their risk and impact. The Adaptation Learning Network gives us the foundation to stop the loss of lives and livelihoods, the destruction and devastation that crush our most vulnerable and weaken our communities. And it empowers us to move from a culture of fear and apathy – to a world of optimism and resilience.