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Responses to Climate Change: A Comparison of Opportunities for Potential Solutions in the Netherlands and the Coastal United States

The objective of this program is to offer a multi-disciplinary course examining current and potential responses to climate change in both the US and The Netherlands that requires students to examine the socioeconomic, political, and eco-social consequences of those responses in the context of each country. The Netherlands has embraced the need for adaptations and approaches to dealing with climate change due to its geographic location and its long history of successfully addressing flooding risks. In the US, climate change impacts are steadily increasing and both governmental and non-governmental organizations are increasing their responses to climate change, although not as quickly nor comprehensively as in the Netherlands. In this study abroad program, students will analyze how communities in both countries have mobilized to raise awareness about these challenges and how governments and other organizations have responded. The program will include a “virtual international exchange” with students at the University of Leiden during the spring 2024 semester. During the summer in-county portion of the class, students will have the opportunity to observe a number of different solutions to climate-change-induced sea level rise, severe storm events, and flooding in person and meet with individuals responsible for developing and implementing those solutions. Students will be asked to examine whether the approaches used in the Netherlands can be successfully transferred to the coastal United States. In particular, students will assess the extent to which differences in geography, ecology, politics, law and culture might require modification for those solutions to be successful in the US. A key component of this course is that it has been designed for both undergraduate and graduate students from all disciplines, as we will be exploring how geography, politics, law, the environment, and culture impact the appropriate solutions to climate change challenges.

Sponsored by: Reves Center for International Studies

Contact

[[wmabroad,Global Education Office]]

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