The training courses here can help you acquire the tools, skills, and knowledge you need to manage your climate-related risks and opportunities. All courses are free of charge, and are offered in at least one of three formats: online audio-visual presentations ("Online, Self-Guided" and "Tool Tutorial"), training webinars ("Online, Scheduled Lecture Series"), and residence training courses ("Onsite, Instructor-Led"). Each training module is accompanied with a test to help you evaluate your knowledge. These courses feature scientific information adapted from authoritative sources, prepared by recognized subject matter experts. The courses have been pilot tested with users and other subject matter experts and may be updated periodically, as needed.
Coastal communities increasingly realize the need for adaptation strategies, but many are unsure where to begin. Attend this two-day, instructor-led course to gain a thorough grounding and practical skills for incorporating adaptation strategies into planning processes. Time in class is provided to practice applying what you’ve learned, and opportunities for local collaboration and next steps are emphasized through discussion, participant activities, and local speakers and examples. The course is designed for planners, public works staff, floodplain managers, hazard mitigation planners, sustainability managers, emergency managers, community groups, members of civic organizations, and coastal resource managers. Participants are eligible for continuing education credits through the American Institute of Certified Planners and Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) professional certifications.
This course helps emergency services and communities better prepare for the climate adaptations necessary and system vulnerabilities that may occur from hazard impacts. After the course, participants will be able to describe the principles of climate adaptation planning for emergency management and existing first-response processes and will be able to discuss the impact of weather on critical infrastructure and key resources while explaining the concurrent effects of climate change on those impacts. Participants will also gain an understanding of how to identify and apply adaptation strategies to address local emergency services-sector vulnerabilities. The course is designed to provide opportunities for participants to learn about various resources that can be used to implement local climate adaptation strategies in their communities.
This course will build on the first course of the series, Coastal Hazards Awareness, by supplementing the awareness knowledge with tools and skills for practical use. The one-day, performance-level training course provides training on available tools for the assessment and planning for natural hazards and vulnerabilities that uniquely affect coastal communities. Examples of these hazards include short-term events such as high surf, storm surge, and tsunami inundation or long-term threats from sea level rise and coastal erosion. The goal of this course is to enable participants to identify methods and considerations for assessing hazards and vulnerabilities of coastal communities, compare and select sources and methods for collecting coastal hazard and vulnerability data, and utilize available web-based tools to conduct a preliminary hazard and vulnerability assessment in their community.
This one-day, awareness-level training course aims to increase the awareness of the hazards facing coastal communities and basic strategies to reduce the risk to those hazards. This course provides training on the basic science of, assessment of, and preparedness for natural hazards and risks that uniquely affect coastal communities. Examples of these hazards are short-term events such as high surf, storm surge, and tsunami inundation or long-term threats from sea level rise and coastal erosion.
The National Estuarine Research Reserves, a network of 29 coastal sites along U.S. Coasts and the Great Lakes, host a range of education, outreach, and training opportunities through their Coastal Training Programs. The overarching goal of these programs is to provide current science and skill-building opportunities for decision-makers in coastal communities. The Coastal Training Programs increase audience understanding of the environmental, social, economic, and policy consequences of human activities, and facilitates coordination among stakeholders to support evidence-based policies and actions.
Each Reserve’s program is different, and many sites host trainings related to resilience and climate change. Some sites have the flexibility to meet the needs of specific decision makers at specific times by organizing or developing custom trainings for local or regional decision makers. Reserves also frequently host the NOAA Digital Coast trainings.
To access training opportunities, or find contact information for program coordinators, select a reserve from the national map. View the Reserve page, and then go to the Reserve Website (under Important Links). Check the Reserve Website for Training, Education, and Outreach opportunities.
This course demonstrates how to integrate risk and community-based collaborative strategies into plans and programs and introduces tools that help communities assess individual risks and vulnerabilities, as well as strategies, to become more resilient and better prepared for natural disasters. The one-day training course provides state and local government agency staff and other stakeholder groups with background on natural hazards. In addition, the course will guide an approach to (1) assess community resilience, and (2) develop next steps for improved resilience. The course is designed for national implementation while allowing integration of local concerns through case studies and focused group exercises.
This awareness-level, four-hour course provides participants with a general understanding of the risks associated with natural hazards and disasters, introduces methods of assessing that risk to vulnerable small businesses, and describes the business continuity planning process to help small businesses prepare for, plan for, mitigate, respond to, and recover from any natural hazard or disaster that may occur. Modules include instruction on identifying hazards to business operations through risk assessment and identifying financial disaster assistance programs and business interruption insurance programs.
This awareness-level, eight-hour course addresses the current science of the causes of floods (both meteorological and otherwise), flood forecasting, flood risk assessment, and best practices for preparation and mitigation for both short- and long-fuse flooding events. Key concepts and discussion topics are reinforced with facilitator-led group activities that utilize real-world flood scenarios that illustrate the diverse challenges and complexities that can occur during actual flood events while building participants' experience and confidence in anticipating, heeding warnings, and responding to floods. The goal of this course is to prepare participants to recognize the conditions that lead to flood events, evaluate their community's risk, and prepare appropriately.
This is an active, hands-on training to help natural resources managers incorporate climate change considerations into their own real-world ecosystem management projects (not only forests). Participants are guided through the steps of the Adaptation Workbook to define their management objectives, identify relevant regional and local effects of climate change on forest ecosystems, identify challenges and opportunities for management, and develop actionable steps to adapt ecosystems to changing conditions. Participants are encouraged to access post-training support from the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science, and to share their stories online as “adaptation demonstrations” at www.forestadaptation.org.
This course provides a basic understanding of hurricane science, forecasting, warning, and preparedness to help emergency managers, responders, government administrators, and community members make better, more informed decisions in hurricane planning and preparedness. The course enhances the ability of participants to identify and describe the conditions of tropical cyclone formation, provide official watch and warning definitions, and to make recommendations in preparation for a hurricane and the associated hazards such as high winds, heavy rain, and storm surge. The goal of this course is to provide participants with the basics of hurricane science, forecasting, warning, and preparedness.
This course will help to enhance community leaders' understanding of natural disasters, risk assessment in the context of disaster management, prevailing emergency management procedures and operations, and the different vulnerability factors that exist within their local community. The course will also provide participants with an understanding of the necessary plans and tools needed in planning for natural disasters and will help them to better understand and identify the personnel best equipped to address response and recovery requirements in the case of an actual disaster. The goal of this course is to provide community leaders with information on natural hazards and disasters, improve community disaster preparedness, and strengthen community partnerships.
This course prepares coastal planners and managers for planning and implementing green or natural infrastructure projects to reduce coastal natural hazards in their communities. The course consists of two parts: a 45-minute, self-guided online module that covers foundational concepts; and an in-person, one-day event that allows participants to interact with their peers and local experts to develop a green infrastructure strategy. You will learn how to describe how green or natural infrastructure contributes to reducing the impacts of hazards and building resilience; analyze considerations for choosing and planning green or natural infrastructure projects; identify and assess approaches for successful implementation; and identify local green or natural infrastructure projects and connect with local experts who can provide additional information and guidance. This course offers six hours of certification maintenance credits through the American Institute of Certified Planners, as well as five core continuing education credits for certified floodplain managers through the Association of State Floodplain Managers.
This course presents the tsunami hazard, current hazard assessment tools and products, tsunami warning and dissemination of systems, and effective community response and tsunami risk-reduction strategies. The course is designed to enhance the participants’ abilities to support their organizational preparedness and response efforts. At the conclusion of the course, a scenario-based group activity challenges participants to identify effective actions that help reduce the impacts of a tsunami hazard in their community. This is an awareness-level course that provides a basic understanding of tsunamis, hazard assessment, warning and dissemination, and community response strategies to effectively reduce tsunami risk. The goal of this course is to enhance the participants' abilities to support their organizational preparedness and response efforts.
