ESS-20806 Integrated Water Management

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

English

Assumed knowledge on:

AEW-21306 Soil and Water II

Continuation courses:

ESW-30306 Integrated Watershed Management

Contents:

The course aims at teaching concepts and principles of sustainable development and integrated management of water-land systems. Due to ongoing human population growth, welfare and the unequal global distribution of water resources, human water demands frequently exceed the carrying capacity of (aquatic) ecosystems. As a result, over-exploitation of groundwater and surface water resources occurs as well as pollution problems, loss of biodiversity, droughts and floods (as related to processes of (human induced) climate change), etcetera. The course highlights global, European, regional and local projects including examples of recent European and Dutch experiences with integrated land and water management. European water policy, with the Framework Water Directive as a central element, is an important element of the course as well. Water is everybody's business, starting from international river basin committees to individual citizens. Water management takes place at a global scale, as well as in every household. Decision-making processes, public participation and communication and information transfer systems are important elements of water management in the 21sth century. In the course actual and urgent water management problems will be presented and discussed regarding available and desired technical-scientific knowledge, goods and services of (aquatic) ecosystems, socio-economic, political and institutional aspects.

Learning outcomes:

After this course the student will be able to:
- recognize and understand concepts of sustainable and integrated water management at different temporal and spatial scales including knowledge on decision making styles, goods and services of water systems, public participation and communication strategies;
- identify relations and (inter) dependencies between upstream and downstream parts of (transboundary) river basins and to obtain insight into indicators for success and failure of international river basin management;
- obtain and apply knowledge on water management approaches in a number of European countries, starting from the European Water Framework Directive and with emphasis on experiences with integrated land and water management in the Netherlands.

Activities:

- to attend (interactive) lectures and study lectures notes;
- to attend practicals (a.o. a role play);
- to write a short essay.

Examination:

A written exam counts for 65% (minimum 5,5) the essay counts for 35% each, with minimum 5,5.

Literature:

Slides and literature are provided in EDU Class Blackboard . A reader of the literature is available through Wurshop.