PhD in Sustainable development and cooperation

Sustainable human-environment interactions

Sustainable human-environment interactions

Sommario del corso

• Course objectives
• Results of learning outcomes
• Program
• Course delivery
• Learning assessment methods
• Suggested readings and bibliography
• Notes
• Class schedule
• Teaching tools
• Course card

Course objectives

The impact of humans on their environment. Humans have been experimenting with natural resources for millennia, at times during periods of sharp climate change. By examining human-environment interactions throughout time, this module will provide important practical guidance on assessing current human impact on the environment, as well as on developing sustainable economies for the future.

Objectives
1. To gain an understanding of the complexity of human responses to climate/environmental
changes and vice versa, considering both local and global scales
2. To be aware of the principal approaches for the conservation and restoration of habitats
and species, and for the characterisation of biodiversity using appropriate biological,
chemical, and physical methods
3. To be able to reflect on the impact of human activities on the conservation of habitat and
species and on the possible avenues for a sustainable use of environmental resources in
the future: ecosystem services, mobilization of local and indigenous knowledge, socio-
economic impacts, and international law regulations

Results of learning outcomes

By the end of the course, doctoral students will be able to:
1. Search, find and critically evaluate relevant multidisciplinary scientific literature; summarize and present to an audience the key points from a range of scientific papers.
2. Place the findings of selected studies in the wider context of cutting-edge research on
natural and anthropic systems.
3. Collect, build, analyze and integrate datasets from different sources and research fields.
4. Plan the application of the main multi-disciplinary approaches for the characterisation and
protection of biodiversity (plants, animals and microbial communities)
5. Critically evaluate the past and present impact of human activities on the conservation of
habitat and species, and learn how to develop optimal projects and grant writing  for sustainability, taking into account governance, policies, ecology of species and habitats, and society.

Program

The course will include the following themes:

1. Sustainable human-environment interactions from a biological perspective. Climate change and biodiversity conservation with particular stress on the impact of human activities, with applied case studies; ecosystem services in marine, freshwater and terrestrial environments; methods of monitoring plant and animal biodiversity changes; principles and techniques for the ex situ conservation and long-term storage of genetic resources of wild and cultivated plants by means of gene and seed banking, development of urbanization, their impact on the environment and potential consequences.
2. Sustainable human-environment interactions from an analytical chemical perspective. Evaluation of human-environment interactions based on the chemical analysis of environmental samples (air, water, soil, biological materials, and waste): main steps (sampling, pretreatment, analysis, data elaboration and reporting), qualitative vs
   quantitative analysis, absolute vs comparative methods, basic principles of instrumental
   methods for the determination of organic and inorganic species and for the selection of the
   most fit-for-purpose analytical approach.
3. Sustainable human-environment interactions from a multidisciplinary perspective. Environmental and economic impacts of climate change: transition to renewable energies through an holistic approach. Focus on technical and regulatory aspects of agrovoltaic.
4. Sustainable human-environment interactions from a legislative perspective. The role of law in environmental governance. Theory and theoretical models developed to address the needs of environmental protection and sustainable development; standards and decision-making procedures for ecosystem preservation, land use planning and pollution control.
5. Grant writing and projects on sustainable human-environment interactions with a multidisciplinary approach. Geographical perspective on participatory and planning approaches and tools. Interdisciplinary discussions based on the previous themes to be integrated for sustainable development, planning and management in a project development prospective and grant writing exercise.

Course delivery

The course will take place over 40 hours distributed between January and February. Students must attend more than 70% of the lectures.

Members of the PhD board will use a combination of frontal teaching, student/teamwork writing, laboratory/field practicals.

The course will take place from the 20th of January 2025 to the 5th of February 2025.

Learning assessment methods

At the end of the course, students will carry out an interdisciplinary grant writing, and prepare and deliver a concept note as an application for a grant on a topic of their choice, integrating a minimum of two of the themes from the programme.

Scientific papers and books will be recommended during the lectures.

Notes

Relevant ERC sectors

• LS7 Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases
• LS8 Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution
• LS9 Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering
• PE4 Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences
• PE10 Earth System Science
• SH2 Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems
• SH3 Environment, Space and Population
• SH6 The Study of the Human Past

Class schedule

• Teaching material
• Exams and finals
• Class schedule
• Go to Moodle
• Register for the course
• Enrolled students
• Invia email agli studenti registrati
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