“Nearly every course in the Faculty of Environment deals with climate change in some way, but this is the first undergraduate program specifically aimed at teaching the foundations of climate change to undergraduates,” said Jean Andrey, Dean of the Faculty of Environment. “By taking a transdisciplinary approach to climate change we’re meeting the demand for workers and citizens who can identify and find climate solutions where our natural and human environments meet.”
A
core
component
of
the
program
is
how
weather
and
climate
influence
geomorphology,
hydrology,
and
biogeochemistry.
With
classes
beginning
in
fall
2022,
the
program
will
train
students
in
solutions-
oriented
approaches
to
environmental
challenges
such
as:
•
Flooding
•
Permafrost
thawing
•
Drought
and
forest
fires
•
Peatland
degradation
•
Changes
to
the
water
cycle
regime
in
different
regions
•
Sea
level
rise
and
coastal
change
•
Changing
economic
opportunities
in
climate
sensitive
sectors,
•
Development
of
climate
services
The BSc in Climate and Environmental Change will be housed in the Faculty of Environment’s well-known Department of Geography and Environmental Management — ranked among top five in Canada.
“Climate change solutions require a fundamental understanding of the natural sciences coupled with technological and other innovations,” said Andrey. “Our department of geography is well positioned to tackle these problems since it is rooted in environmental science and has a strong applied component that draws on new and established technologies in geomatics. Students will learn how to combine knowledge across scientific disciplinary fields such as, biology, chemistry, physics and Earth science, with human geography for effective environmental management.”
The Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo is the largest post-secondary institution devoted entirely to issues of sustainability. In 2012 it made history by establishing Canada’s first course focusing specifically on the multiple ways climate change affects society and the environment.
To learn more about this exciting new program, visit Climate and Environmental Change.