On July 6th, the ‘Climate x’ Leadership Training Program 2023 (‘Climate x’ 2023), co-hosted by Global Alliance of Universities on Climate (GAUC) and the Asian Universities Alliance (AUA), completed its second live workshop on Climate x Disaster.

Prof. Aruna Napayalage, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at United Arab Emirates University, presented a pre-recorded session on the topic of Tsunamis. His lecture briefly discussed tsunamis, their impact and mitigation, covering four topics: Tsunami generation and detection, Tsunami damage to coastal defense structures, Tsunami and climate change, and Tsunami mitigation: Ecosystem-based disaster-risk reduction.

Prof. Deepthi Wickramasinghe, a Professor in the Department of Zoology and Environment Sciences at University of Colombo, delivered another pre-recorded session on the topic of Climate-Induced Disasters and the Role of Youth in Reducing Risk. In his lecture, Prof. Wickramasinghe mentioned that climate change had resulted in an increasing number of weather-related disasters, and youth should approach this burning issue differently to find the appropriate solutions. Global youth could actively engage at national and global levels in raising awareness, planning educational programs, and promoting mitigation and adaptation initiatives.

The third pre-recorded session focused on Water Disasters Changing with Climate Change, presented by Yoshimura Kei from the Institute of Industrial Science at the University of Tokyo. He claimed that we are experiencing an increased risk of water-related disasters due to climate change. He also introduced the use of Today's Earth (TE), which shows the currently occurring risk of floods or droughts by utilizing a fusion technology of satellite observations and model simulations.

The live workshop session of the course was hosted by Alice Ho, the Chief Youth Officer of GAUC. Youth trainees actively engaged in discussions with the three experts during the live workshop, gaining insights into the generation and impact of disasters in the context of climate change, particularly the adverse effects on vulnerable populations and the resulting climate inequities. While answering questions, the professors also inspired the youth to contribute more positive adaptation actions in the future.

The ‘Climate x’ Leadership Training Program 2023, co-hosted by the Global Alliance of Universities on Climate (GAUC) and the Asian Universities Alliance (AUA), is open to college students globally.

By emphasizing the synergy between climate change and other UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and adopting a ‘Train the Trainer’ approach through a combination of interdisciplinary lectures, diversified workshops, and engagement practices, the training program aims to empower the next generation to take innovative actions and unlock their potential to contribute to a net-zero future.

On July 10th, the trainees will delve into the topic of leadership in the context of climate change, where Mr. Jérôme L'host from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (Unitar) will share his years-long research in this field.

Reporter: YAO Fanghong

Editor: Cary Lee

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