Course Content

The main topics to be covered in this module are:

Unit 1: Introduction (2 Weeks)

This unit introduces the context of sustainable development with reference to the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm Conference) and in the background of the nature of earth’s surface and human operations in the critical zone and establishes linkages between ascent of human species and the global change.

Unit 2: Economics, Environment and Development (2 Weeks)

This unit discusses various economic models within the framework of economic behaviour of nations, governments, people and industry in pursuit of human welfare and development. It explores the linkages between economic activity and environmental degradation by studying the life cycle of raw materials, use of energy in transforming them into finished products and bi-products that escape the anticipated ‘circular flows’ and pose serious problems to natural environment. Pollution and climate change are the two well known examples linked to traditional economic models.

Unit 3: Critical Natural Resources(4 Weeks)

This unit provides a multi-disciplinary understanding of criticality of natural resources in terms of their current global status, exploitation and future projections for human use. Importance of land and water resources to sustain agriculture needs, climate resources and impact of climate change on productivity of natural and managed ecosystems linked to human survival will be discussed. The role of various international, regional and national protocols including United Nations Framework on Climate Change, Kyoto Protocol, Copenhagen and Cancun Declarations and impediments to consensus will be debated. Key instruments such as environmental impact assessment, strategic environmental assessment and carrying capacity based developmental planning in achieving sustainable development will be critically examined.

Unit 4: Businesses, Livelihoods and Our Common Future (5 Weeks)

This unit looks at the modern approaches to solving the problem of environmental degradation through legal, political economic and technology options. The unit examines human poverty in the context of environmental degradation and disproportionate use of natural resources and the need for their rational global distribution and access. Models to address a just system of resource distribution through corporate social responsibility, social entrepreneurship, and development of green businesses will be examined. The unit will explore case studies for sustainable life styles in green urban centres including that of Singapore

Lecture Schedule

Organization

The instruction model organized for 35 students involves classroom teaching (seminar style) of two hours duration twice a week on the subject. Lectures in the beginning of term will highlight the key concepts and principles of earth’s surface processes and resources, and the subsequent lectures will examine the criticality of these resources to human survival and finally try to comprehend the role of humans in changing some of the natural cycles. A number of case studies will be discussed in the global, regional and local context. We will make an endeavour, throughput the semester, to question the positions on both sides of the sustainable development (SD) debate. After the seminars are completed there will be classroom interactions and presentations by individual students to present and discuss their take on various facets of SD.

Students would be provided with lecture notes on upcoming seminar topics prior to classroom interaction. These will be posted on the IVLE website.

Assessment Schedule

Mid-Term Exam

The students are required to complete a mid-term assignment, which may include an MCQ test on the topics covered in the class.

Individual Presentations

Each student will select a topic of his/her choice and prepare a power point presentation. This exercise is aimed at developing independent thinking and conceptualization of a theme, researching material for presentations, developing oratorial skills and managing the audiences’ questions and points of view. The students will be assessed for the succinctness and clarity; in particular, the captivating title of the talk, clear methodology, content, message and conclusions. Each presentation would be of 7-10 minute duration.

Essay/Paper

Each student is required to write an essay on a topic given by the instructor. The essay/paper should not be more than 1000 words (minimum 800 words). The submission shall contain answers to specific questions given by the instructor in the context of published work on the subject of Sustainable Development.

Group Project

As a part of training in carrying out independent studies the students are required to choose a topic of choice relevant to SD debate or future solutions. To foster an attitude of working in a group, the students would form groups of 3-4 individuals and prepare a written (minimum 2500 and maximum of 3000 words) report/paper. The submission shall be organized into chapters/sub-headings elucidating the students’ grasp of the problem, sources and methodology of materials collected, analysis of the material and the group’s own views in the context of existing published literature. Each group will have to clearly spell out the participant student’s contribution to the effort.

Final Examination

The final examination will be held on on 29 April 2019, 9am

Assessment Schedule