WATR201-23S2 (C) Semester Two 2023

Freshwater Resources

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 17 July 2023
End Date: Sunday, 12 November 2023
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 30 July 2023
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 1 October 2023

Description

Characterisation and assessment of freshwater resources and current stresses upon these. Topics will include; characteristics and vulnerability of the hydrological cycle, aquatic processes and aquatic ecosystems, cultural values, hazards, anthropogenic use, stresses and their effects on water quality, quantity, ecosystem health/diversity and future use, resource limitations and connections to economy, tools and techniques for resource assessment.

The aim of this course is to provide a contextual knowledge of water resource characterisation and issues to students with specific disciplinary skills, such that they can understand and accommodate aspects of sustainable water resource management in their chosen career. A secondary aim is to initiate a pathway leading into the postgraduate programme in Water Science and Management, which may, in turn, lead to a professional career in this field.

PLEASE NOTE: The lecture delivery for this course differs from the standard three hour per week in-class format, as the course is delivered jointly with Lincoln University. Lectures are pre-recorded and available on LEARN and are designed for viewing on a PC. There will be in class workshops: check the course outline and timetable for details.

Learning Outcomes

  • Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to;

  • Explain why freshwater resources and their ecosystems are vulnerable to change

  • Describe how water resources and their values are characterised and evaluate their limitations

  • Discuss why water resources can pose hazards  

  • Evaluate the effects of domestic and commercial water use on water resources, their subsequent use and aquatic ecosystems

  • Apply specialist skills (e.g., in aspects of science, engineering, planning) in freshwater resources management

  • Explain the role of practical (field) survey work in resource characterisation and effects assessment

Prerequisites

Any 75 points at 100 level

Timetable Note

PLEASE NOTE: The lecture delivery for this course differs from the standard three hour per week in-class format, as the course is delivered jointly with Lincoln University. Lectures are pre-recorded and available on LEARN, and are designed for viewing on a PC. There will be in class tutorials in the lecture room - check the Course outline for details.

Course Coordinator

Shelley Macdonell

Textbooks / Resources

There is no available textbook covering the range of topics to be offered in WATR201.  However, there are a variety of excellent textbooks on the nature of freshwater resources and their management in the university library.

Additional readings will also be provided via the LEARN(moodle) website.

Course links

This course uses LEARN(moodle) as a key resource for communication, lecture and additional reference material. This course is also delivered as a mixture of online lectures and in person tutorials (see timetable note, above).

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $951.00

International fee $4,750.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see School of Earth and Environment .

All WATR201 Occurrences

  • WATR201-23S2 (C) Semester Two 2023