Newcastle University

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

As populations grow and the demand for water increases across the world, the need for a sustainable integrated approach to river basin management has become ever more pressing. Climate change has become an additional overarching concern. This module demonstrates how sustainable river basin management can be undertaken in an integrated manner such that the competing needs of the multiple stakeholders in a basin (eg water supply, flood control, waste water disposal) can be rationalized. There is a major emphasis on the integration of technical and socio-economic knowledge in attempting to balance the conflicting objectives of economic efficiency, social equity and environmental sustainability defined by the internationally accepted Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach.

The module aims are therefore:

To demonstrate how sustainable river basin management can be undertaken in an integrated manner such that the competing needs of the multiple stakeholders in a basin can be rationalized.
To show how an appropriate balance can be achieved between the conflicting objectives of economic efficiency, social equity and environmental sustainability.
To provide an opportunity for students to assess problems in major international river basins throughout the world, and to propose agendas for sustainable river basin management.

Outline Of Syllabus

Lectures cover the full spectrum of climate change, water resource, water quality and flood risk management issues that must be addressed, as well as the basic socio-economic principles. External lecturers from the UK Environment Agency and the water industry provide valuable inputs on regulation and water service provision. Modelling and decision support tools (eg multi criteria analysis) are accessed through a computer practical session based on a real world master planning case study. The highlight of the course is a major groupwork exercise undertaken by six teams of students throughout the week who are required to assess the current state of six major international river basins across the world, and to prepare and present to the class, and academic assessors, agendas for how sustainable river basin management might be achieved in these cases. This involves a major information gathering and synthesis exercise using the Internet. Individual coursework assignments are completed based on the work done.

Day 1
Introduction to Integrated River Basin Management.
Institutional Frameworks and the EU Water Framework Directive.
Creating Frameworks for IRBM.
Water for All
Water Industry Regulation
Organisation of Groups for Coursework.
Group Coursework Session.
Day 2
Sustainable Cities
Climate Change and Water Resources
Sustainability and Sustainable Development
Introduction to Cost-benefit Analysis
Economic Evaluation of Environmental Goods
Environmental and Social Cost-benefit Analysis
Group Coursework Session
Day 3
Multi-Criteria Analysis of Water Resources Plans
Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)
Water Master Planning: Case Study and Computer Practical
Group Coursework Session
Day 4
Environment Agency and Environmental Regulation
Diffuse Agricultural Pollution: the Demonstration Test Catchments
Groundwater Protection
Utility Asset Management Planning
Water Conservation and Demand Management
Catchment Flood Management Plans
Group Coursework Session
Day 5
Creating an Agenda for IRBM: Reporting by Groups
Feedback Session and Closure

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

At the end of this module, students should have acquired:-

Comprehensive understanding of integrated river basin management(IRBM)concept and principles.
Understanding of how sustainability can be incorporated into IRBM.
Knowledge of impacts of human activities on the environmental state of a river basin.
Knowledge of the economic and social principles underlying IRBM.
Understanding of how to balance conflicting objectives in managing a river basin.
Knowledge of how to assess alternative river basin management plans.

Intended Skill Outcomes

At the end of this module, students should have achieved the following skills:-

Capacity to formulate IRBM objectives.
Capacity to integrate technical and socio-economic information to support decision-making.
Capacity to quantify the state of a river basin, and to prepare an agenda for sustainable IRBM.
Ability to use of decision support tools.
Information gathering and synthesis.
Integration of knowledge.
Prioritizing needs and setting objectives.
Making sustainability assessments.
Advocacy and reporting skills.
Presentation skills.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

With the accelerating growth in population and economic development around the world, and the developing food crisis, the pressures on river basins and their water resources are becoming unsustainable. The need for an integrated, sustainable approach to river basin management has never been more pressing. Students gain the required wide base of technical and socio-economic knowledge through lectures and computer practicals, and guest speakers from industry reinforce the learning experience. Most importantly, students are also given the opportunity to put this knowledge into action through the group coursework in which they are required to assess the current states of a number of stressed international river basins, and to come up with an agenda for sustainable river basin management in each. They are thus well prepared to tackle such challenging problems in the real world after they leave.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The examination assesses assimilated knowledge, while the coursework assesses capacity to work in a team and to synthesize information. The oral presentation is assessed based on ability to distil and organise key material, and to present it in a clear and cognet manner.

General Notes

N/A