Online Diploma: Integrated DRR, Community-Based Adaptation, Rural Development—Courses Begin March 6

Center for Sustainable Development—CSDi—March, 2012. Join students from all over the world for an intensive series of courses that begin March 6, 2012. Get an Online Diploma: Integrated Community Based Adaptation, Disaster Risk Reduction & Rural Development.

CSDi is announcing the March launch of a diploma module of eight online Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Community Based Adaptation (CBA) & Rural Development field courses. These courses begin by introducing basic climate change concepts, and develop as participants identify local community vulnerabilities, identify climate change risks and hazards, investigate appropriate solutions, develop full projects, launch and manage them. A strong course component is the integration of DRR and CBA within course participant’s traditional development projects.

Students have participated in our courses developing humanitarian projects involving: potable water, health facilities, primary schooling, health & hygiene, sanitation, gender, security, food aid, food security, adult literacy, vocational training, income generation, home gardens, agriculture and animal husbandry—in—Afghanistan, China, Darfur, Ethiopia, Haiti, Iraq, Kenya, Mongolia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, South Sudan, Turkey and Uganda.

DRR-focused projects developed by course participants have included:
-participatory vulnerability and capacity assessments
-community-based risk identification and reduction programs
-hazard mapping
-disaster risk management
-emergency preparedness
-resilience to extreme weather conditions
-community flood resilience program; flood preparation, response and recovery
-forming community based flood management (response) committees
-community awareness-raising of disaster risk and response
-use of bio-engineering for slope stabilization and run-off reduction for landslide and flash flood reduction

Complete information and course syllabi:
http://www.csd-i.org/ol-440-diploma-drr-cba-dev/

CSDi provides the following course/continuing learning resources
All learning resources and course materials are freely downloadable from the course site and include:
-200 manuals & field guides of development activities
-300 Community Based Adaptation for Climate Change field activities
-Community-based training guides for 150 development activities
-Scholarship opportunities for citizens of developing nations

Online course participants are using our courses to develop real, on-the-ground projects with real communities—both individually and through North/South student partnerships. People from 116 different countries and 350 organizations used CSDi online courses to develop projects impacting 185,000 people.

Course fees range from $165 for citizens/residents of developed nations to $115 for citizens/residents of developing nations.

We supply two levels of mentoring. Each week’s assignment will be accompanied by a clear, professional example of what we want you to achieve that week. We will also provide comments, suggestions and encouragement for each one of your assignments individually. We want you to develop high quality outcomes, and we also want you to understand the hows and whys.

The classes are designed to be fun and interactive: you will not only be working with your community, you will be collaborating with colleagues from around the globe. All course materials can be downloaded from the course site at no additional cost.

Questions? Please contact us:
Online.Learning@csd-i.org

Sincerely,

Tim Magee
Executive Director
http://www.csd-i.org/

The Center for Sustainable Development specializes in providing sound, evidence-based information, tools and training for humanitarian development professionals worldwide. CSDi is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.