Disaster risk management program: risk sensitive land use planning on-line course

Course Overview

Urban population is expected to reach 5 billion by 2030. In the new urban millennium, natural and human made disasters are likely to have their greatest impact in cities where half of humanity is expected to reside. Land use planning presents a tool to mitigate disaster risks by promoting sustainable land use and urban development practices. A risk-sensitive land use planning practice however, would require understanding of processes that shape disaster vulnerability as well as ways to integrate risk reduction into land use planning processes.

Unfortunately there is very little understanding, motivation and sometimes resources, to incorporate risk reduction in existing planning and management practices at the local level. As a consequence, disaster risk reduction is often undertaken in a reactive manner following a major disaster. Land use planning however provides an opportunity for pro-active risk reduction through location-based and/or structural approaches in the form of comprehensive plans, zoning and building regulations. If land use planning is formulated based on systematic processes of risk assessment, implemented diligently and monitored continuously, it has the potential to reduce existing, future and residual risks.

This course is designed to facilitate the integration of disaster risk concerns in land use planning practices at the local level by improving the understanding of urban disaster vulnerability and corresponding land use planning and management processes. It aims to promote improved urban development and land management policies, regulations and tools that are risk-sensitive and focused on disaster risk reduction and mitigation.

Objectives

The main objective of this course is to provide a better understanding of how risk-sensitive land use planning contributes to building disaster resilience of urban areas. It emphasizes the need for risk-sensitive land use planning to proactively address risk factors in urban areas and promote sustainable urban development. It reviews the aspects of disaster management where urban land use concerns arise, and introduces options – policies and tools – to consider in integrating risk assessment in land use planning and management for better results. The course aims to improve the understanding of:

- The processes that shape urban disaster vulnerability and its relationship with land use and development practices,
- The land use planning and management processes, tools and techniques,
- The concept of risk assessment, various steps involved as well as methods and tools employed in risk assessment processes,
- The ways to incorporate outputs of risk assessment into land use planning strategies, policies and tools suitable for disaster risk reduction,
- The challenges encountered during implementation of risk-sensitive land use planning measures and possible ways to overcome them

Course Format

The three weeks course consists of basic learning materials – presentations, readings, case studies; discussion forums, and knowledge check quizzes. The sessions are presented in narrated Power Point form. The narration lasts for approximately 30-35 minutes in each of the three presentations.

Participants

The course targets urban land use planners, building officials, policy makers, community leaders and disaster management professionals, with the intention of sensitizing them in risk-sensitive land use planning practices and processes for disaster risk reduction. The target audience includes government officials, staff of development agencies, aid and relief organizations.

Language

The language of the course is English.

Course Expectations

Participants are expected to commit 10 -14 hours per week in order to gain the most out of this course, in addition to:

- Completing the pre-course assignments
- Completing the required readings
- Participating in online discussion forums and completing the knowledge checks
- Submitting the course assignment and an end of course project
- Completing a course evaluation at the end of the course