LWS 525 SYLLABUS
Land and Water 525 - GLOBAL ISSUES
PREREQUISITE
There are no course prerequisites. This course is restricted to students in one of these faculties: Graduate and Post-Doctoral
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Course Instructor(s) |
Contact Details |
Office Location |
Office Hours |
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Les M. Lavkulich |
Email: Iml@mail.ubc.ca |
MCML 127 |
By appointment (in-person or virtual) |
UBCs Point Grey Campus is located on the traditional ancestral, and unceded territory of the xwrnö0kwa9am (Musqueam) people. The land it is situated on a place of learning for the Musqueam people.
This course complements a suite of core courses offered by the Master of Land and Water Systems program. Principles of systems thinking and analysis (LWS 517 — Land and Water
Resources Evaluation) and integrated watershed science and management (LWS 515 Watershed Science) are applied in LWS 525 in the context of transboundary drainage basins, cumulative effects of human impacts, remediation, informed water management and global governance. Several case studies will be discussed and students will prepare a term paper on a transboundary basin case study of their interest.
Each class will consist of a lecture or class discussion/activity. Course participants are expected to attend in-person. See the Learning Activities below for up to date activities.
This course uses the Canvas Learning Management System (canvas.ubc.ca) to support in class activities access lecture slides, readings and assignment instructions Students will participate in online discussions and submit assignments via Canvas.
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Period |
Topics |
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Week 1-2 |
Water Basins & Water Properties |
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Week 3-4 |
Significance of Historical Water Basins |
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Week 5 |
Discussion and Critical Review #1 |
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Week 6-7 |
Integrated Watershed Management |
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Week 7 |
Mid-Term Break |
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Week 8-9 |
Emerging Global Issues |
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Week 10-11 |
Discussion # 2, Transboundary Issues |
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Week 12 |
Transboundary |
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Week 13 |
Wrap up; Takeuhome Final Exam sent out |
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Dates for discussions and assignments will be posted on the course Canvas site. Please note that this schedule is subject to change.
To complete the course, the following assessment components will be graded:
l . Student participation in class is encouraged and can take on several forms. Question periods during lectures are opportunities to ask questions and share commentary on the topic at hand in a more informal way. In addition, there will be designated discussion periods scheduled, where the class will break into groups to discuss an assigned topic/questions . Following these class discussions, a short critical review essay (300 words) will be assigned and students will submit these to Canvas.
Detailed instructions will be provided during class time and posted in Canvas,
The Canvas Discussion board will also be an available forum for students to continue discussions outside of class time, The instructor will intermittently join in to facilitate.
Detailed instructions will be provided during class time and posted in Canvas.
Criteria for evaluation of term paper:
Read and follow instructions carefully
Provide clearly stated objectives
Cite relevant literature documentation
Discuss strengths and weaknesses of alternative findings
Present clear conclusions
Document is clear, organized and absent of spelling and grammatical errors
Detailed instructions will be provided during class time and posted in Canvas.
If a student has a concern with an assignment and/or deadline, they should contact an instructor immediately to discuss possible alternatives. If an assignment is submitted late and the student did not contact the instructor prior to the due date, late marks might be deducted at the instructor's discretion.
UBC provides resources to support student learning and to maintain healthy lifestyles but recognizes that sometimes crises arise and so there are additional resources to access including those for survivors of sexual violence. UBC values respect for the person and ideas of all members of the academic community. Harassment and discrimination are not tolerated nor is suppression of academic freedom. UBC provides appropriate accommodation for students with disabilities and for religious observances.
UBC values academic honesty and students are expected to acknowledge the ideas generated by others and to uphold the highest academic standards in all of their actions.
Details of the policies and how to access support are available on the UBC Senate website,
COPYRIGHT
All materials of this course (course handouts, lecture slides, assessments, course readings, etc.) are the intellectual property of the Course Instructor or licensed to be used in this course by the copyright owner. Redistribution of these materials by any means without permission of the copyright holder(s) constitutes a breach of copyright and may lead to academic discipline .
LEARNING OUTCOMES
I. Demonstrate an understanding of the historical legacy of the role water basins have contributed
to the appreciation, value and indigenous knowledge upon which has been built the development
of hydrological, socioeconomic, environmental and policy components of system based water
resource management, and ;
2. Identify community based water resource management issues and strategies for major
societal sectors, including agriculture, forestry and urban development within the context of
climate change and governance realities.
3. Characterize a drainage basin, and demonstrate an understanding of the water management
challenges facing large, transboundary drainage basins in a changing climate.
4 Discuss theory and practice of water resource management at international, national and
local scale jurisdictions, and their intersections in a transboundary context.
5 Analyze water rights, equity, and potential water conflicts.
6 Develop a comprehensive analysis and review of fresh water resources development and
management and its challenges on a transboundary river basin case study.
LEARNING MATERIALS & READING LIST
There is no textbook for the course. Students will be assigned readings in preparation for each
week's lecture; required readings are presented in bold, while additional readings are provided
for reference and interest. Readings are made available through the UBC Library Course
Reserves
Introduction
1.1 Water Needs
Environment Agency. 2020. Meeting our future water needs: a national framework
for water resources. Horizon House, Bristol, UK. www.gov.uk/environmentagency
1.2 The Vital Resource , Aulenbach, D.B. 1968. Water- Our Second Most Important
Natural Resource, 9 B.C.L,
Rev. 535, https://lawdigitalcommons.bc.edu/bclr/v019/iss3/2
I .3 Additional References
Boretti, A. , Rosa, L. 2019. Reassessing the projections of the World Water
Development Report. clean Water 2, 15. https://doi.orq/10.1038/s41545-019-00399
Pradinaud , C., Nofihey, S., Amor, B. , Bare, J. , Benini, L., Berger, M. Boulay, A.
M.,Junqua, G., M. J. , Margni, M., Motoshita, M. , Nibliclg , B. , Payen,
S.» Pfister, S., Quinteiro, P, Sonderegger, T. , & Rosenbaum, R. K. 2019. Defining
freshwater as a natural resource: A framework linking water use to the area of
protection natural resources. The international journal of life cycle assessment,
24(5), 960-974 https://doi.org/l O. 1007/sl 1367-018-1543-g
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2014. The
Water Energy- Food Nexus A new approach in support of food security and
sustainable agriculture. Rome, Water the Fugitive Vital & Resource that Shaped Civilization
2.1 Photosynthesis , Barber, J. 2017. A mechanism for water splitting and oxygen
production in photosynthesis. Nature Plants 3, 17041 * https 1038/nplants.2017.41
2.2 Agriculture
Lubell, M. & A. Fulton. 2008. Local Policy Networks and Agricultural Watershed
Management, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 1 8(4), 673—696.
Https://doi.org/10.1093/iopart/mum03 1
2.3 Forestry
Calder, E.R. 2007. Forests and water ensuring forest benefits outweigh water costs. Forest
Ecology and Management, 251: 1 10—120.
2.4 Rangelands
Dahlgren, R., Tate, K. W, Lewis, D, Atwill , E. R, Harper, L, & Allen-Diaz, B. 2001.
Watershed research examines rangeland management effects on water quality.
California Agriculture, 55(6), 64-71. Retrieved from https:scholarship.
2.5 Fisheries
Maitland, P.S., and N. C. Morgan. 2001. Conservation Management of Freshwater
Habitats: Lakes, Rivers and Wetlands. Boston, MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
2.6 Urban
OECD. 2014. Managing water for future cities. Policy Perspectives.
https://www.oecd.org/environment/resources/Policy-Perspectives-
Managing Water For- Future-Cities.
The Transboundary Drainage Basin
3.1 Introduction and Definitions
Fitzgerald, Helen, 2021. "Facts About Basins" sciencing.com,
https://sciencing.com/basins-8647463.html.
3.2 Connectivity
Degefu , DM., Liao, He, W., Yuan, L. , An, M. , Zhang, Xia, W. 2019. The Impact
of Upstream Sub-Basins, Water Use on Middle Stream and Downstream Sub Basins'
Water Security at Country Basin Unit Spatial Scale and Monthly Temporal
Resolution. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 16, 450*10.3390/iierph16030450
3.3 Local and Global Issues
UN-Water. 2018. Transboundary Waters https://www.unwater.org/water„
facts/transboundary -waters/ University of British Columbia.
3.4 Protection
Rieu-Clarke, A. , R. Moynihan & B. Magsig. 2012. UN Watercourses Convention: User's
Guide https: www.iucn.or sites dev files un watercourses convention users guide.
Gregory K.J. 1999. Drainage basins. In: Environmental Geology. Encyclopedia of Earth
Science. Springer, Dordrecht. 83 UN (2012): UN World Water Development Report 2012: Managing Water under Uncertainty and Risk.
UNEP-DHI and UNE. 2016. Transboundary River Basins: Status and Trends, Summary for
Policy Makers. United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), Nairobi.
United Nations. 1992. UN Convention on the protection and use of transboundary
watercourses and international lakes.
Raj, S.P„ Sharma, N. & Lohani, 2019. Novel approach for issues identification in
transboundary water management using fuzzy c-means clustering. Appl Water Sci 9, l l .
https://d0i.org/10, 1007/s13201-018-0889-1
4.1 Dams
0 FAO. 2002. Impacts of dams on rivers, http://www.fao.org/3/v3994e/v3994eOi.htm
4.2 Diversions
Jacob-Rousseau, N. 2015. Water diversions, environmental impacts and social
conflicts: the contribution of quantitative archives to the history of hydraulics.
French cases (nineteenth century). Water Hist 7, 101 129 (2015). https: doi.or
10.1007 812685-013-0092-0
4.3 Extractions
Sabater, S. Bregoli, F. , Acuöa, V. et al. 2018. Effects of human-driven water
stress on river ecosystems: a meta-analysis. Sci Rep 8, https://doi.org/10.103 8(s41598018-29807-7
4.4 Contamination and Pollution
Schwarzenbach, R.P., T. Egli, T,B. Hofstetter, U. von Gunten, B. Wehrli. 2010. Global
Water Pollution and Human Health. Annual Review of Environment and Resource
35:1, 109-136
4.5 Protection
Rieu-Clarke, A. , R. Moynihan & B. Magsig. 2012. UN Watercourses Convention: User's
Guide https: www.iucn.or sites dev files un watercourses convention users guide.
Gregory K.J. 1999. Drainage basins. In: Environmental Geology. Encyclopedia of Earth
Science. Springer, Dordrecht. 83 UN (2012):
UN World Water Development Report 2012: Managing Water under Uncertainty and
Risk.
United Nations. 1992. UN Convention on the protection and use of transboundary
watercourses and international lakes.
Raj, S.P„ Sharma, N. & Lohani, 2019. Novel approach for issues identification in
transboundary water management using fuzzy c-means clustering. Appl Water Sci 9, l l .
https://d0i.org/10, 1007/s13201-018-0889-1
4.1 Dams
FAO. 2002. Impacts of dams on rivers, http://www.fao.org/3/v3994e/v3994eOi.htm
4.2 Diversions
Jacob-Rousseau, N. 2015. Water diversions, environmental impacts and social
conflicts: the contribution of quantitative archives to the history of hydraulics.
French cases (nineteenth century). Water Hist 7, 101 129 (2015). https: doi. or
10.1007 812685-013-0092-
4.3 Extractions
4.4 Contamination and Pollution
Schwarzenbach, R.P., T. Egli, T,B. Hofstetter, U. von Gunten, B. Wehrli. 2010. Global
Water Pollution and Human Health. Annual Review of Environment and Resource
35:1, 109-130
Schmutz, S. & O. Moog. 2018. Dams: Ecological Impacts and Management. Riverine
Ecosystem Management, Volume 8.
Nikiema, J. , J. Mateo-Sagasta, Z. Asiedu, D. Saad & B. Lamizana. 2020. Water Pollution .
by Plastics and Microplastics.; A Review of Technical Solutions from Source to Sea, 2020.
United Nations Environment Programme, ISBN No: 978-92-807-3820
Honingh, D, T. van Emmerik , Uijttewaal, H, Kardhana, O, Hoes & N. van de Giesen.
2020. Urban River Water Level Increase Through Plastic Waste Accumulation at a Rack
Structure. Front Earth Sci., 14, https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2020.00028
Burtka , A.T. & W. Montgomery. 2018. A Right to Water, Is Water a Human Right
or a Commodity? University of Michigan: Erb Institute htt : www.3blmedia.com
News Ri ht-Water-Water-Human Right-or-Commodity
5.2 Indigenous Peoples
Wilson, N.J. and J. Inkster. 2018. Respecting water: Indigenous water governance,
ontologies and politics of kinship on the ground, Nature and Space, 1 15-538.
Schmutz, S. & O. Moog. 2018. Dams: Ecological Impacts and Management. Riverine
Ecosystem Management, Volume 8
Nikiema, J. , J. Mateo-Sagasta, Z. Asiedu, D. Saad & B. Lamizana. 2020. Water Pollution .
by Plastics and Microplastics.; A Review of Technical Solutions from Source to Sea, 2020.
United Nations Environment Program, ISBN No: 978-92-807-3820-
Honingh, D, , T. van Emmerik, Uijttewaal, H, Kardhana, O, Hoes & N. van de Giesen.
2020. Urban River Water Level Increase Through Plastic Waste Accumulation at a Rack
Structure. Front Earth Sci., 14, https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2020.00028
6.1 Global
Burtka, A.T. & W. Montgomery. 2018. A Right to Water=— Is Water a Human Right
or a Commodity? University of Michigan: Erb Institute htt : www.3blmedia.com
News Ri ht-Water-Water-Human Right-or-Commodity
Health
Baron, J., N.L. Poff, P.L. Angermeier , C.N. Dahm, P.H. Gleick, N.G Hairston,
Jackson, CA. Johnston, B.D Richter, A.D. Steinman. 2003. Sustaining
Healthy Freshwater Ecosystems. Issues in Ecology, Number 10.
P.H. Gleick (1996). Basic Water Requirements for Human Activities: Meeting Basic
Needs, Water international, 21 83-92, DOI: 10.1080/02508069608686494
Basic Water Requirements for Human Activities: Meeting https://pacinstorg )
publication ) basic-water-needs.
Guidance for Responding to Drinking Water Contamination ...
https ://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-12/documents/. ,
D. W. Schindler, W. F. Donahue. (2006). An impending water crisis in Canada's western prairie
provinces. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 103 (19) 7210-7216; DOI:
10.1073/pnas.0601568103
Gaur A, Gaur A, Simonovic SP. 2018. Future Changes in Flood Hazards across Canada,
Climate. Water. Emerging and Future Concerns
WMO. 2008. New Challenges of Water Resources Management: The Future ...
https:// ublic.wmo.int//bulletin/new-challenges-water-
resources management future-role
18 Surprising Projections About the Future of Water .www.seametrics.com/blog/future water.
Assessing the Vulnerability of Watersheds to Climate Change. https://www.fs.fed.usa
publs . Causes of Water Conflict: Past Wars and Future Predictions
https://worldwaterreserve.com/water-crisis/causeswofuwaterw conflict
10 ways technology is changing the future of water ,https://www.techrepublic.com/article/
Henry Vaux. 2006, The role of science in solving the world's emerging water problems.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 102 (44) 1571515720; DOI:
10.1073/pnas0506467102