water201x_syllabus_oct14

COURSE INFORMATION SUMMARY

WATER 201X: BLUE IS THE NEW GREEN

October – November 2014 http://www.tinyurl.com/blueisthenewgreen/

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

OVERVIEW

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

COURSE TIMES AND LOGISTICS

GRADING

COURSE COMPONENTS

COURSE TOPICS

• MODULE 1 • MODULE 2 • MODULE 3 • MODULE 4 • MODULE 5 • MODULE 6

HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THIS COURSE




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OVERVIEW

Learn about innovative urban solutions to the global water crisis, with inspiring real-life examples from

architects, engineers, planners, ecologists, and artists. Mobilizing water-related design in pursuit of environmental sustainability is one of the most cutting-edge topics in architecture, engineering, planning, urban design, and urban ecology. In this course, students will learn about innovative solutions to the global water crisis, featuring Vancouver--one of the world’s leading cities for blue-green design.

Students will:

• explore multiple perspectives from the social and natural sciences; • develop an understanding of the interconnections between water

and other environmental security issues (the ‘water-energy-food-health nexus’);

• critically analyze innovative “blue-green” design strategies at multiple scales; and

• link concepts and examples of regenerative sustainability.

The course features architects, planners, artists, engineers, and academics that have been central to creating real-world innovations which link water and sustainability in the built environment. Specific topics include: blue-green building design; eco-health; the role of water in environmentally-sensitive urban planning; waste-to-resource conversion at the neighborhood scale; urban stream regeneration; water ethics; and regenerative sustainability.




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MODULE TOPIC

Week 1 RETHINKING THE WATER NEXUS

From trade-‐offs to solutions

Week 2 REGENERATIVE SUSTAINABILITY

Leave the world a better place

Week 3 CLOSING THE LOOP

Waste is a resource

Week 4 URBAN SOCIO-‐HYDROLOGY

Landscapes are waterscapes

Week 5 URBAN ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION

To restore is to reconnect

Week 6 WATER ETHICS

Think like a watershed




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ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Dr. Karen Bakker is a Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of British Columbia (located in Vancouver, Canada).

She is a Canada Research Chair and Founding Director of the Program on Water Governance at UBC’s Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability.

A Rhodes Scholar with a PhD from Oxford University, Professor Bakker was named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2011. She will be inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in November 2014. Her work has appeared in over 100 academic publications, including books with Oxford, Cornell, and Toronto University Press (her h-‐index is 30). She has also published in popular media (Dissent, Globe and Mail, Guardian, Huffington Post, Sunday Times). Karen also regularly acts as advisor/consultant to national and international organizations, as well as non-‐governmental organizations (NGOs). http://karenbakker.org

Fun facts: Karen has two daughters and loves bicycling and gardening.

Under her pseudonym, Karen Le Billon, she writes books on food politics, focusing on food education for children. Her first book on this topic won

Canada’s top food writing award in 2013.




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COURSE TIMES AND LOGISTICS

New modules will be released each Wednesday, at 10:00 am Vancouver time or 17:00 UTC. After November 2, 2014 this time will shift to 18:00 UTC to adjust for Pacific daylight savings time.

Graded quizzes and other assignments are due Sunday at 11:59 pm, Vancouver time or Monday at 7:59 UTC a week and a half after they open.

Please see the detailed course schedule for specific dates and times for each week.

Questions should be directed to the discussion forums, which will be checked every two hours between 9 am and 9 pm, Vancouver time.




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GRADING, ASSESSMENT, AND CERTIFICATE

Verified Certificates: You have the option of signing up for a Verified Certificate of Achievement that shows you have successfully completed your edX course and verifies your identity through your photo and ID. Verified certificates are available for a fee.

Honor Code Certificates: If you choose to audit the course, you will receive an Honor Code Certificate of Achievement if you meet the minimum grade requirement of 60%. An honor code certificate of achievement certifies that you have successfully completed a course, but does not verify your identity. Honor code certificates are currently free.

Signing up for the Verified Certificate is entirely optional – every component of this course is freely available to all students.

Each student's final course grade is based on the following items: -‐ 6 graded quizzes

-‐ 1 optional peer-‐evaluated assignment The final score will be based on the best 6 scores of these 7

assessed items. Each of these scores will be weighted equally in the final course grade.




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COURSE COMPONENTS

In each of the six weekly modules of the course, you will be expected to cover four components: videos, readings, discussion, and quizzes. The suggested times are average; individual students may find they need more (or less) to complete the components.

VIDEOS Approximately 30 minutes per week. 1. The ‘story videos’ featured each week should be watched first. These present the inspiring stories of innovators who have used “blue green” design to solve an aspect of the global water crisis. Through their explanations of their innovations, you will be introduced to the key concepts for the week. 2. The ‘lecture videos’ explain the concepts introduced in the story videos in greater detail, providing context and key definitions. The lecture videos have deliberately been designed at a relatively moderate pace, to allow students whose first language is not English to follow along. Nonetheless, you may wish to watch the videos twice, as they present relatively high-‐level concepts in a short space of time. 3. The ‘vlog videos’ are informal videos (like video blog posts) in which Professor Bakker shares additional insights relevant to the readings and/or discussions.




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READINGS Approximately 60 to 90 minutes per week. You are expected to complete one required reading per week. These readings were selected to deepen your understanding of the core concepts. Because the readings are detailed academic or policy publications, you may find them time-‐consuming to read. We recommend that you read them at least twice prior to the quiz, as a detailed understanding of the readings will enable you to perform better on the quiz questions. Use the readings to clarify your understanding of the lecture materials, to prepare for the discussion and quiz, and to investigate topics you find especially interesting.

DISCUSSION Approximately 30 minutes per week. The discussions are a crucial part of the course. Each week, the Instructor and TAs will offer specific questions for student discussion. These questions are designed to help you prepare for the quiz, so it will be useful for you to spend time (i) responding to the questions and (ii) reading and commenting on other students’ responses. QUIZ Approximately 30 minutes per week. The short quizzes have several multiple choice questions. You are allowed two attempts to obtain the correct answer.




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Module 1: The Water-‐Energy-‐Food Nexus

‘Water is the great connector’

In this module, we will develop an understanding of the interconnections between water, energy, food, and land security, and the potential for synergies through integrated management. We will introduce the key concepts ‘Water-‐Energy-‐Food Nexus’ and ‘Water Security’, and discuss their implications for communities and the environment in developed and developing countries. Finally, we will identify some of the key drivers of the global water crisis, and discuss their effects on water supply and demand.

Reading Asian Development Bank 2013. Thinking about water differently: Managing the water food energy nexus. Asian Development Bank, Metro Manila, pp 2-‐18. http://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/pub/2013/thinking-‐about-‐water-‐differently.pdf

Learning Objectives Students should be able to:

1. Explain the WEFL nexus concept by describing the interrelationship of nexus sectors, and the synergies and tradeoffs that result.

2. Describe water security as a multi-‐faceted concept, and discuss key social, ecological and political elements of water security.

3. Identify the key drivers of the global water crisis, and explain their effects on water supply and demand.




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Module 2. Regenerative Sustainability

‘Leave the world a better place’

In this module we will introduce the role of water in connecting ecosystem health with human health, and discuss the need to regenerate healthy socio-‐ecological relationships. We will use the concepts of ecosystem goods and services and ecohealth to explore the benefits humans receive from water and natural ecosystem processes. A green building in Vancouver will provide examples of the way in which good urban design can regenerate healthy human-‐environment relationships. Moving from the building to the watershed, we will also identify opportunities to improve human and ecosystem health through watershed management.

Reading Bunch, M. J., K. E. Morrison, M. W. Parkes, and H. D. Venema. 2011. Promoting health and wellbeing by managing for social–ecological resilience: the potential of integrating ecohealth and water resources management approaches. Ecology and Society 16(1). http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol16/iss1/art6/

Learning Objectives 1. Define ecosystem goods and services, and provide examples of the benefits humans receive from natural watershed processes 2. Explain the concept of ecohealth from a socio-‐ecological systems perspective 3. Explain how “blue green” building design can incorporate the concept of eco-‐health, with positive outcomes for humans and watershed management.




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Module 3: Water-‐Energy Security ‘Waste is the new resource’

In this module we will focus on the potential “win-‐win” solutions that arise through treating waste as a resource, thereby generating energy. As context for the case study of the False Creek Energy Utility, you will learn (in the lecture video and readings) about a broad range of water and energy interactions, thereby enhancing your understanding of the sustainability of different energy sources. You will also learn about the energy requirements of key water services, and have an enhanced understanding of opportunities to improve energy efficiency in the water sector.

Reading McMahon J.E., S.K. Price. 2011. Water and Energy Interactions. Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA. http://escholarship.org/uc/item/5pr6r5h6

Learning Objectives 1. Understand the difference between “water demand” of various forms of fuel and electricity production, including consumptive and non-‐consumptive uses 2. Discuss the sustainability of different energy sources, based on the tradeoffs between water, energy, and food security, carbon emissions, and ecosystem impacts 3. Identify the energy requirements of key water services, and opportunities to improve energy efficiency in the water sector




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Module 4. Urban Waterscapes

‘Rethinking landscapes as waterscapes’

This module will introduce you to the concepts of ‘landscape infrastructure’ and ‘multifunctional landscapes’. We will discuss opportunities to implement a nexus approach and increase water’s ecosystem services through a strong understanding of the relationship between landscape structure and its socio-‐ecological functioning. A neighbourhood-‐scale urban redesign project at False Creek will illustrate the way in which multifunctional sites can improve the ecological performance of urban landscapes. Based on this example and others, we will learn about the benefits of and potential for decentralized, ‘blue-‐green’ water infrastructure.

Reading Lovell, S. T. and D. M. Johnston. 2009. Designing landscapes for performance based on emerging principles in landscape ecology. Ecology and Society 14(1): 44. http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol14/iss1/art44/

Learning Objectives 1. Explain ‘landscape infrastructure’ in terms of the relationship between the structure of the landscape and its socio-‐ecological functioning 2. Apply the concept of multifunctionality to identify opportunities to improve landscape performance 3. Explain the potential benefits of for decentralized, ‘soft’ water infrastructure




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Module 5: Urban Stream Restoration

To restore is to reconnect

In this module, we will “scale up” to the urban watershed, focusing on urban ecology restoration. Ecological restoration has grown in popularity over the past few decades; this week’s case study presents an interesting and challenging case of a highly developed stream in the heart of Vancouver’s central industrial district. You will learn about the complex set of processes may shape urban streams and rivers, and gain an appreciation for the challenges inherent in urban stream restoration. You will also learn about the interplay of benefits—ecological, economic, and social—that arise when successful stream restoration projects occur.

Reading Gurnell, A. , Lee, M. and Souch, C. 2007 Urban rivers: Hydrology, geomorphology, ecology and opportunities for change. Geography Compass 1(5): 1118-‐1137 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1749-‐8198.2007.00058.x/full

Learning Objectives 1. Define “ecological restoration” as it applies to urban streams and rivers, and explain key characteristics of restoration projects. 2. Describe potential benefits for ecosystem services and habitat, as well as human communities 3. Explain the potential links between ecological restoration at the watershed scale and other urban “blue-‐green” design initiatives




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Module 6: Water Ethics ‘A new water worldview’

In the context of the escalating global water crisis and a changing climate, a new ethic of water-‐society relations is required. The final week focuses on articulating local solutions from the last five weeks with a global perspective. We will introduce key paradigms and principles of water management, and evaluate their potential to contribute to a sustainable water future. This module will also highlight the impacts of climate change on hydro-‐social relations, and implications for future water management. Building on this emerging water ethic, we will discuss what water-‐centric thinking and planning means in practice, and its implications for water policy.

Reading Groenfeldt, D. 2010. The next nexus: Environmental ethics, water management and climate change. Water Alternatives 3(3): 575-‐586.

Learning Objectives 4. Define and compare key paradigms and principles of water management 5. Identify the attributes of water-‐centric thinking, planning and doing, and implications for water policy 6. Explain the impacts of climate change on the hydro-‐social cycle, and implications for future water management




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HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THIS COURSE This depends on your goals. If your goal is to complete the course with a high grade, you should participate in the discussions before taking the graded quiz. You may also consider going back to the video lectures and using the other resources to clarify your understanding of the concepts. If you want to really clarify your understanding after you've seen the correct answers for the quizzes, try the following: • For each question you got wrong, write out an explanation of why

your answer was wrong and why the specified answer is correct. • Go to this module's Quiz Discussion Forum and ask for advice

from other students. • Then try the Quiz again (remember, you have two chances to get

the right answer). Finally, if you can spare the time, go back to the discussion forum and see if you can help some other students. This course, like all large online courses, will only thrive if everyone contributes to the best of their abilities. Thank you, and we hope you enjoy the course! Professor Bakker and the ‘Blue is the New Green’ team

water201x_syllabus_oct14

Documents

water nexus

role of water

water governance

waterrelated design

global water crisis

urban design

instructor course times

module topic week