Climate change is reshaping the risk landscape for development projects worldwide, creating new challenges for environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) practitioners. Traditional ESIA approaches often focus on how projects affect environmental and social systems, but increasingly there is a need to assess how climate hazards and disaster risks may affect project performance, sustainability and long-term viability.

This interactive two-day training course provides participants with practical tools and methodologies for integrating climate resilience and disaster risk assessment into ESIA processes. Participants will learn how to identify and assess climate hazards, evaluate exposure and vulnerability, conduct climate risk screening, develop adaptation measures, and incorporate resilience principles into project planning and decision-making.

Drawing on the best international practices, lessons from Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and case studies including Christchurch earthquake recovery, Hurricane Dorian and Cyclone Winston, the course combines technical presentations, practical exercises, group discussions and a capstone project.

Participants will leave with practical templates, checklists, risk assessment tools and a structured framework that can be applied immediately within their own professional practice.

Level: Intermediate

Prerequisites: Participants should possess a basic understanding of environmental and social impact assessment, environmental management, planning, climate change, disaster risk reduction, sustainable development, or related disciplines.

Language: English

Duration: 2 days (18-19 April)

Min/Max: 7-25

Price: $560

Instructor: Patrina N. Pollard Harris, Founder & Principal Consultant PPH Professional Consultancy & Services (Turks and Caicos Islands)

Patrina N. Pollard Harris is an environmental management and disaster risk reduction professional with more than 25 years of experience in education, training, environmental management, climate resilience, and sustainable development across the Caribbean. She holds an MSc in Environmental Management from SOAS University of London and a BA in Geography from the University of Guyana.

Patrina currently serves as a Training Officer with the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies (DDME) in the Turks and Caicos Islands, where she supports the development and delivery of disaster risk reduction, emergency management, resilience-building, and capacity development programmes for government, private sector, schools, communities, and civil society. She has extensive experience designing and facilitating training, workshops, exercises, and public awareness initiatives on disaster risk reduction, climate resilience, emergency management, environmental management, and community preparedness.

She is also Founder and Principal Consultant of PPH Professional Consultancy & Services, providing advisory services in environmental management, climate resilience, impact assessment, sustainable development, project support, and capacity building. Her professional interests include climate resilience, environmental assessment, sustainable development, disaster risk reduction, stakeholder engagement, and capacity development for Small Island Developing States (SIDS).