Shelter and settlements in disasters

A brand new course - six weeks online and two weeks in Copenhagen.

The number and gravity of disasters are increasing as countries and international organizations struggle to address complex disasters, reduce risk and vulnerabilities as well as adapting to climate change.

Changing shelter and settlements assistance needs during and after disasters are emerging rapidly. Agencies today are striving to adjust strategies, tools and guidelines to the new challenges during displacement, return and reintegration. The need for shelter and settlements practitioners that are equipped to meet these challenges is critical for successful and durable solutions after disasters.

The course will enable students to work with shelter mandated international humanitarian organizations in both natural disasters and complex emergencies. Students will become familiar with the organization and operations of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee and the shelter cluster response procedures. They will learn how to effectively coordinate and plan shelter clusters assessments, strategies and programmes with international organizations, national authorities and the affected population. Students will study the various typologies of shelter interventions applied differently in natural disasters and complex emergencies and how these transit from one to the next.

Objectives:

At the end of the course students have acquired strategic and practical knowledge of shelter and settlements policies, methods, tools and procedures in the humanitarian response system and will be prepared to practice these in a sustainable manner from relief to recovery.

Content:

The course is designed to teach students strategies, methods and guidelines promoting sustainability in the shelter response from relief to recovery and reconstruction. Students will be prepared to address shelter and settlements challenges in accordance with local needs and build on local resources. It is an important feature of the course to teach students to integrate risk and vulnerability reduction strategies in recovery programming. The students will learn to consider local building technologies and materials as part of "building-back-better" strategies. The course embraces the common phases of the emergency cycle, emergency shelter, transition shelter, early recovery, and reconstruction.

Methods:

The methodology of the three course components combines e-learning (Absalon system) with face-to-face campus learning. The course includes an initial four-week knowledge building phase followed by two weeks campus lecturing, group discussions, workshops and written assignments. This phase will incorporate visiting practitioners invited to share their knowledge and real-time experiences during lectures and discussions. The final two weeks e-learning is focused on a written assignment as the final thesis.

Class size:

The number of participants is limited to 40. The course may be cancelled if there are too few participants

This ECTS accredited course is organised and executed in close collaboration with the Red Cross (IFRC) This is an optional advanced course in the Master of Disaster Management programme. More Information and online application form on the website.

Component 1:

Distance learning for 4 weeks.

The international humanitarian response system - organization, tools and how it responds to shelter and settlements needs in natural disasters and complex emergencies. At the end of Component 1, students have solid knowledge of the humanitarian response system, the role and functioning of the shelter cluster and the various shelter and settlements typologies, tools, standards and approaches

Component 2:

Face-to face campus learning for 2 weeks.

Applying the theory - assessments, challenges and preparing for shelter and settlements interventions. At the end of Component 2, students can identify key shelter and settlements challenges and opportunities, apply relevant shelter assessment methods and prepare sustainable shelter and settlements strategies relevant to specific intervention phases.

Component 3:

Distance learning for 2 weeks.

Final thesis - Programming shelter and settlements interventions.

Reduced fee: DKK 10,200 - for students from EU/EEA, and students with a DIS, Fulbright or Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship.

Normal fee: DKK 15,000 - for all other students.

All fees are subject to regulation.