SLM-30306 Issues and Concepts in International Land and Water Management

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

English

Assumed knowledge on:

BIL courses or equivalent relevant BSc.

Contents:

International land and water management deals with many different issues, ranging from global societal issues to problems with land and water use at field and farm level. This course provides insight into the broadness and richness of this domain and today's main issues and debates. Furthermore, this course focuses on some of the concepts (paradigms) that are developed and applied in international land and water management, to analyse, explain and manage these issues. This course has two objectives. Firstly, by intensively debating issues and concepts in land and water management it will level the playing field for students with different educational and professional backgrounds. Students will be actively involved in debates on hot topics in research and development; i.e. scientific and societal challenges concerning land and water management at different scalar levels. Students will reflect, not only in terms of course content, but also on their assumptions, roles and group dynamics. The international (societal, global) context and scientific developments are central in this part of the course. Secondly, this course will introduce the three Wageningen approaches in land and water management:
- sustainable land management;
- irrigation and water management;
- integrated water management.
With the gained knowledge students will critically reflect on the different conceptual approaches that are used in different cases, concerning both research and development for land and water management. Additionally, given that a diversity of researchers from the involved chair groups will be invited to take part in this course, students will obtain profound insight into the differences between the scientific approaches.

Learning outcomes:

After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:
- explain the scope of the international land and water management domain and the scientific and societal issues underlying current debates and research within this domain;
- explain and understand the concepts and research methodologies that are used and applied within land and water management;
- analyse land and water management issues at different scales and angles by applying different approaches;
- explain the interdependencies between bio-physical, economic and socio-political processes in a land and water management context, and appreciate the specificity of land and water management issues in the Netherlands and the global South;
- analyse and critically reflect on research proposals related to one of the scientific and societal issues discussed, which is grounded in one or more of the conceptual frameworks;
- reflect on and learn from working in multidisciplinary and multicultural groups by preparing a reflection report;
- reflect on and articulate the individual learning process by preparing a paper that describes the major insights gained as related to your current master programme and specialization.

Activities:

- lectures by staff and invited PhD students on issues and concepts in land and water management;
- one-day excursion to a Dutch land and water management practice;
- group work on the analysis research projects;
- skill trainings in (de)constructing a scientific argument and speed reading;
- writing of a reflection report and a short individual paper.

Examination:

Attending the practical is obligatory. The examination consists of:
- group presentations; (will be assessed on specified requirements);
- reflection report; (will be assessed on specified requirements);
- exam on course material (lectures and literature).

Literature:

Scientific Journal papers.
Practical guide.