Water and Environmental Management (ES99C-15)
Summary
The main aim of this module is to present to students a global topic such as water in its complexity and to engage them so they can discover, research and experiment the great potentialities of an interdisciplinary approach to the matter.
Module aims
The main aim of this module is to present to students a global topic such as water in its complexity and to engage them so they can discover, research and experiment the great potentialities of an interdisciplinary approach to the matter.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
The module will consist of 5 days sessions. The module leader will attend each session to integrate and stimulate interdisciplinary learning.
Each day the module leader and subject specialists will choose how they wish to deliver a combination of discipline or application grounded materials. Activities will allow the students to develop their learning in an interdisciplinary style and help them explore and deepen their knowledge of that day's theories and set texts/materials. Active learning methods (i.e. Team-Based Learning; Open Space Learning) will be implemented to heighten student engagement and understanding of the week's topic.
Daily topics
Here is an indicative description of topics to be covered each day of the week. There might be slight rearrangement during the delivery week.
Day 1: Water Supply
This day introduces students to the module, the SDGs linked with water and the environment. The session would also introduce students to Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) concept from an Engineering standpoint.
The second part of the day would consider the theme: WATER SUPPLY, covering water use, source, and system; water quality and treatment; water conveyance and distribution; and gender, social and ethical issues around the water supply.
Day 2: Water and Environmental Sanitation
The day would cover lectures and activities on critical components of water and environmental sanitation. These include Sanitation (Faecal Management), Wastewater management and Solid waste management, giving a thought to concepts of waste to wealth, sustainability and the circular economy.
Day 3: Climate change
The day would focus on climate change, adaptation, and mitigation strategies. Lectures and activities would enable students to understand and analyse the impact of climate change on extreme events.
Day 4: Ecology and Engineering Solutions to Extreme Events
In continuation of the discussion on climate change, the day would focus on its impact on ecology, socio-economic activities, and human health. A range of traditional hard-engineered solutions and soft nature-based infrastructures and their role in mitigating extreme events will also be discussed.
Day 5: Water and Sustainability
The day will focus more closely on issues linked to "water sustainability" and water pollution with a case study that will explore water issues connected to agriculture. The day covers a holistic view of the interdisciplinary nature of water and the need for proper water resources management to achieve sustainability.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate advanced understanding of the interconnectivity of water and the environmental with technology, humanitarian services and sustainable development.
- Critique the central role of water in our society, in the organisation of our cities and in the development of political scenarios.
- Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge and understanding of disciplinary theories, positions and research themes related to the field of water.
- Conceptualise the importance of a global, significant and different approach to issues pertaining to water based on dialogue across the boundary.
- Evaluate the water resources and their efficient and effective management for variety of uses.
- Identify approaches for sanitation for various uses of water, and criticize the possible adverse effects.
- Summarise their multidisciplinary learning into a global approach to water related issues and problems (= interdisciplinarity), developing their own research in a holistic way that crosses disciplinary boundaries (= transdisciplinarity).
- Evaluate the economics, engineering, social organisation, and environmental impact analysis of the best choice between competing technologies for any specific water or environmental challenge.
- Develop skills of communication and take part in informed interdisciplinary discussions with their peers and with academics.
- Effectively work on independent and collaborative projects.
When:
Week 9
Commencing 29/11/22
Where:
R2.41
Dr Modupe Jimoh
Dr Soroush Abolfathi
Soroush.Abolfathi@Warwick.ac.uk
“Of all known liquids,” wrote the great water chemist Felix Franks, “water is probably the most studied and least understood.”