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Land and Water Resources Management

  • Module code: GG6080
  • Year: 2018/9
  • Level: 6
  • Credits: 30
  • Pre-requisites: None
  • Co-requisites: None

Summary

The module examines the relationship between land and water management, global challenges associated with the management of land and water, and sustainable options to seek their resolution. The module will develop an understanding and critical evaluation of these challenges from several perspectives through the systematic investigation of land-use practices, the applications of soil science and linking practices to processes and patterns of land degradation, the interface between land management and water management, global concerns for water security, land use impacts on the wider environment, including climate, physical and socio-political drivers and an examination of the regional land-water management issues. The module will highlight a range of employability skills and challenge students to identify and value the transferability of these skills to the workplace. These will include assessment for learning activities that will develop fieldwork skills, problem solving and the communication of environmental knowledge.

Aims

  • To apply environmental and geographical knowledge to water resources challenges and evaluate sustainable management solutions.
  • To investigate the relationships between water management and land management and their functional relationship to water resources.
  • To examine specific land-use management challenges, their relationship with soil functions and solutions to control and mitigate land degradation.
  • To investigate land and water governance, legislation and regulation.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

  • Analyse and evaluate water resources problems and debate sustainable management solutions.
  • Discuss and evaluate a range of sustainability issues relating to land-use and management, e.g., soils and climate change, land degradation, soil erosion, pollution and pollution pathways.
  • Demonstrate in-depth understanding of the connectivity between land and water management decisions and practices, e.g. agriculture, irrigation and food production; land, groundwater and surface water contamination; acidification; salinity and salinisation and chemical desertification.
  • Research, review, debate and present arguments on complex issues related to land and water management including their socio-political consideration.
  • Demonstrate learning from first-hand experience of challenges by blending theoretical knowledge with practical and field-based experientially acquired knowledge.

Curriculum content

  • The definition and recognition of land and water resources problems, water scarcity and security, sustainability criteria, risk assessment, scales of approach and terms of reference.
  • River basin management, investigation of the physical, social and geo-political
  • relationships of integrated river basin management, historical contexts and the lessons of history, contemporary management systems, governance, regulation and ownership.
  • Management of extremes: flood risk, flood vulnerability and flood management; droughts and drought management
  • Water quality management of surface and groundwater, water pollution, water treatment, water quality objectives and compliance. 
  • Sustainable Urban Drainage and integrated storm-water management
  • Water conservation, reuse and desalination as alternative strategies to tackling water resource challenges.
  • Soil quality and its relationship with water, food production and environmental health, definitions, principles and conceptual models.
  • Land degradation, nutrient management in farming systems, exploitation of soil fertility, cultivation practices and carbon turnover, loss of nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon and their wider implications, including water quality and climate change.
  • Acid deposition, soil and water acidification and its wider implications, the role of farming, transport and industrial activities.
  • Soil contamination, conceptual models and case studies of their toxicities/exposures, soil-water pathways and human and animal health implications
  • Soil salinisation, causes and impacts on soil quality including agricultural production.
  • Soil erosion and soil conservation management strategies

Teaching and learning strategy

The module will comprise a series of lectures and fieldwork sessions together with guided reading. Lectures will identify and introduce key topics that will be further reinforced by fieldwork and seminar sessions. Debates and reflective sessions are used to revise and explore specific themes and blend independent learning. Outside speakers may contribute to the lecture and fieldwork programme, e.g. to give an industry/regulatory perspective of specific management topics. Employability skills are integrated within the learning and teaching strategy and include debate, interaction with land and water management practitioners (e.g. on fieldwork) and communication skills to articulate ideas and produce authentic reports that closely mimic workplace reporting practices. Canvas VLE will be used to support all aspects of learning and teaching, providing a platform for articulating the module syllabus, assessment and feedback, archiving module-related resources (e.g. specific reading materials) and a digital discussion platform.

Breakdown of Teaching and Learning Hours

Definitive UNISTATS Category Indicative Description Hours
Scheduled learning and teaching Lectures Seminars Fieldwork (2 days) 51 11 16
Guided independent study 222
Total (number of credits x 10) 300

Assessment strategy

Summative assessments consist of:

(A) End of module written examination (40%, 2 hours)

(B) Fieldwork report (30%, 2500 words)

The fieldwork report will blend fieldwork experiences with research concerning catchment management in SE England. Students will investigate various land and water management challenges in two days of staff-directed fieldwork in a specified geographic region and will investigate the connections between land and water management challenges, sustainability challenges (economic, social and environmental), and review contemporary approaches to the resolution of these challenges. 2500 words.

(C) A coursework essay on a chosen land and water management topic (30%, 2500 words).

Students will be given a choice of questions and will choose one.  Questions will be defined in the module guide, students will research in parallel with supporting sessions in their programme and will receive formative feedback on their progress through the submission of a detailed essay plan prior to final summative submission. 2500 words.

Formative assessments include:

(D) Reflective seminar sessions to debate land and water management topics and debate concerning themes identified in the fieldwork elements of the module and their connection to classroom based investigations.

Mapping of Learning Outcomes to Assessment Strategy (Indicative)

Learning Outcome Assessment Strategy
1) Analyse and evaluate water resources problems and debate sustainable management solutions. (A) exam, (B) Fieldwork report and (C) Coursework essay informed by discussion, debate and feedback from the formative reflective seminar sessions (D).
2) Discuss and evaluate a range of sustainability issues relating to land-use and management, e.g., soils and climate change, land degradation, soil erosion, pollution and pollution pathways. (A) exam, (B) Fieldwork report and (C) Coursework essay informed by discussion, debate and feedback from the formative reflective seminar sessions (D).
3) Demonstrate in-depth understanding of the connectivity between land and water management decisions and practices, e.g. agriculture, irrigation and food production; land, groundwater and surface water contamination; acidification; salinity and salinisation and chemical desertification. (A) exam, (B) Fieldwork report and (C) Coursework essay informed by discussion, debate and feedback from the formative reflective seminar sessions (D).
4) Research, review, debate and present arguments on complex issues related to land and water management including their socio-political consideration. (A) exam, (B) Fieldwork report and (C) Coursework essay informed by discussion, debate and feedback from the formative reflective seminar sessions (D).
Demonstrate learning from first-hand experience of challenges by blending theoretical knowledge with practical and field-based experientially acquired knowledge and the application of this knowledge to the workplace. (B) Fieldwork report informed by discussion, debate and feedback from the formative reflective seminar sessions (D).

Elements of Assessment

Description of Assessment Definitive UNISTATS Categories Percentage
Examination Written examination 40%
Fieldwork report Coursework 25
Coursework essay Coursework 30%
Total (to equal 100%) 100%

Achieving a pass

It is NOT a requirement that the major category of assessment is passed in order to achieve an overall pass for the module.

Bibliography core texts

Jones JAA (2010) Water Sustainability, a Global Perspective, Hodder Education, London.

Bibliography recommended reading

Allan JA (2011) Virtual Water: Tackling the Threat to our Planet's Most Precious Resource, I.B.Tauris, London.

Calder I (1999) The Blue Revolution: Land Use and Integrated Water Resources Management.  Earthscan, London.

Folloett RF and Stewart BA (1985) Soil Erosion and Crop Productivity. ASA, Madison, USA.

Holden J (2013) Water Resources: an Integrated Approach. Routledge, London.

Hooda PS (2010) Trace Elements in Soils, Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester.

Hunt CE (2004) Thirsty Planet - Strategies for Sustainable Water Management, Zed Books, London.

Lane A, Norton M and Ryan S (2017) Water Resources: a New Water Architecture. Wiley, Chichester.

Martin-Ortega J, Ferrier RC, Gordon IJ and Khan S (2018) Water Ecosystem Services: a Global Perspective. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Newson MD (1997) Land, Water and Development - Sustainable Management of River Basin Systems (2nd Edition), Routledge, London. London

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