ENVS3005 Water Resource Management
Later Year Course
| Offered By | School of Resources Environment & Society |
|---|---|
| Academic Career | Undergraduate |
| Course Subject | Environmental Science |
| Offered in | First Semester, 2009 and First Semester, 2010 |
| Unit Value | 6 units |
| Course Description |
The aim of this course is to provide an understanding of issues and methods in water resources management, and is set especially within the framework of total, or integrated, catchment management. The course gives an introduction to the unique hydrology of Australia, major issues of water resource management, the principles of integrated catchment management and sustainability, and the hydrological cycle. Topics will include: the components of the hydrological cycle; droughts and floods; temporal and spatial variability; impacts of land management on quantity and quality; water demand and allocation among users, including the environment; the institutional and policy aspects; economics of water resource management; and integrated modelling of water and land resources. The course emphasises the interdisciplinarity of water resource management and focuses on integrated assessment, which is a method that seeks to solve water management problems by investigating the physical, economic, social and institutional components of a problem, also known as systems management. |
| Learning Outcomes |
On satisfying the requirements of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to: 1. understand the complex interplay between people, climate, land, water and economic development in water resource management in Australia2. explain how the changing balance over time in water availability, demand for water and value of water informs, and has been informed by, the history of development, institutional arrangements, policy and management 3. demonstrate familiarity with a range of water resource management issues, including origins, impacts and management interventions in both rural and urban settings 4. integrate information from a range of disciplines into a comprehensive picture of a water resource management issue 5. appreciate the relationship between raw data and the interpretation(s) that stem from it, and how lack of knowledge or uncertain knowledge influence resource management decision-making 6. consider and use a range of methods for tackling water resource management problems. |
| Indicative Assessment |
Assessment will be based on:
|
| Workload |
Two contact hours of lectures and two hours of practical work per week |
| Areas of Interest | Resource Management and Environmental Science |
| Requisite Statement | 72 units towards a degree |
| Incompatibility |
with SRES3005 |
| Preliminary Reading |
Hussey, K. and Dovers, S. (2007) Managing Water for Australia - The Social and Institutional Challenges, CSIRO Publishing. |
| Majors/Specialisations | Environmental Studies and Geography |
| Science Group | C |
| Academic Contact | Dr Sara Beavis |
The information published on the Study at ANU 2009 website applies to the 2009 academic year only. All information provided on this website replaces the information contained in the Study at ANU 2008 website.
