Newcastle University

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

-

Aims

To provide insight into water supply, sanitation, hygiene and disease in developing countries, examples of appropriate water resource and environmental engineering interventions, and an introduction to relevant social, economic and institutional issues.

The module centres on addressing water and sanitation needs in developing countries, and includes the following main topics and cross-cutting issues.

Main topics: Disease; Sanitation (on-site, sewerage, treatment, re-use); Water (resources, treatment, provision); Hygiene; Drainage; Solid waste management.

Cross-cutting issues: Appropriate technology; social issues; institutional issues; rural, peri-urban and urban issues.

Outline Of Syllabus

Typical lectures and case studies (may change from year to year):
Module introduction
Appropriate technology
Disease and epidemiology
Water resources in arid areas
Low cost water supply technologies
On-site sanitation
Low cost sewerage
Community participation case studies
Urban drainage
Solid waste management
Water and sanitation sector reform
Low cost household water treatment
NGOs in water, sanitation and hygiene

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

At the end of the module students should be able to:
1) understand the scale and impact of inadequate water supply, sanitation and hygiene in developing countries.
2) understand the transmission of diseases prevalent in developing countries.
3) recognise the importance of social, economic and institutional dimensions of water supply, sanitation and hygiene in developing countries.

Intended Skill Outcomes

At the end of the module students should be able to:
1) apply water resources and environmental engineering technologies appropriate for urban and rural situations in developing countries.
2) use initiative in acquiring and using information
3) work in a team and produce innovative solutions to problems
4) confidently and critically discuss relevant issues

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The lectures cover the key topics, working towards the intended Knowledge Outcomes 1 to 3 and Skills Outcome 4.

Guest speakers are invited to share with the students their experiences of working in developing countries, in order to add interest and insight to the module, and again work towards the intended Knowledge and Skills Outcomes 1 to 4.

It is intended for social aspects associated with any technical topics covered to be included in general across the module. In addition, a few of the sessions are dedicated to social issues, to strengthen the intended Knowledge Outcome 3.

The coursework is designed to encourage Skills Outcomes 4 to 7 in particular. Class discussion of group presentations, and during lectures, seminars and case studies, is encouraged to strengthen Skills Outcome 7.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Students will be allocated into teams of around 4 to research and develop the outline of a particular environmental engineering and management programme (e.g. Water programme to supply a population of 1000 from 2 mountain springs in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh). They will be assessed on the basis of effort, knowledge and innovation demonstrated in both the team presentation and summary report. The coursework is designed to assess and provide feedback on the Skills Outcomes 4 to 7 in particular, together with the demonstrated application of the Knowledge Outcomes 1 to 3.

The written examination is designed to assess the Knowledge Outcomes 1 to 3 in particular, with some exam questions also giving students the opportunity to demonstrate some of the Skills Outcomes 4 and 7.

General Notes

N/A