Environmental Studies

The urban ecohydrology contains a theoretical part which comprises all aspects related to the urban water cycle including urban rainfall pattern, water availability, groundwater recharge, urban rivers and drainage (traditional and sustainable approaches), urban waterscapes and alternative perspectives for water in cities, and the specific requirements for urban green including urban rainwater gardens, green roofs and facades and aspects of water shortage and heat stress on urban green conditions. Specific requirements of mega-cities and urban areas in developing countries will be assessed. In a practical part of the module, students will learn how to use simple modelling software for the calculation of greywater use and for the configuration of sustainable drainage systems including sustainable rainwater management. In the excursion part, students will get the chance to visit and study different elements of urban water, including e.g. excursions to a sewage treatment plant, the implementations of the water framework directive for urban rivers, integrated rain and grey water management of office blocks, and green wall installations (excursions will vary according to the availability of invited guides).

This course introduces contemporary geography, involving processes and problems, socio-economic and environmental issues/processes shaping our world, and the geographical perspectives needed to understand them better. Starting with how geographers view the world, the course offers a spatial lens to analyze such issues as climate change, urban flooding, human-environment relations, challenges of migration, economic production and consumption, and so forth. Each lecture discuss contemporary scenarios that students are familiar with alongside geographical analyses of and approaches to the issues. Students are also exposed to field work techniques, mapping skills and strategies of project management in small group discussions and project assignments.

Climate change, environmental pollution, waste of resources and the decline of biodiversity clearly show mankind that processes of change are necessary. On a policy level, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris climate agreement and the Green New Deal are setting the stage, at the corporate level, standards such as environmental social and governance (ESG) reporting, supply chain integrity and voluntary certification, and diversity are critical to long-term business success. How are companies innovating towards more sustainability today? What are the criteria, the success factors and the strategic approaches to tackle consumer, policy, employee and societal demand for more sustainability? This course looks at current sustainability frameworks, sustainable companies and sustainable innovation. Students get to know and to apply collaborative tools to be better prepared for a business environment. One focus is on the development of a sustainable business model or project, based on which students learn and try out modern methods such as the Sustainable Business Canvas, Design Thinking, Effectuation and the Blue Ocean Strategy.

This course teaches remote sensing which is the use of aerial photographs to collect information about landscapes and the environment, with a focus on how to analyze aerial photographs. By doing so, students detect a wide range of features depending on the film emulsion used, e.g., black and white, normal color, and infrared. The course covers the theoretical aspects of aerial photography and includes several opportunities to interpret and handle different types of non-digital image information from landscapes and environments in different parts of the world.

This course explores the complex relationships between development, poverty, and the environment. It covers a range of important natural resource and environmental issues, and provides students with the necessary tools to critically evaluate how these issues have been addressed by different stakeholders and at different levels of governance. Using concepts and analytical tools grounded in political ecology and critical development studies, the course examines several topics, including the politics of sustainable development, environmental governance and tenure, and critical resource issues.

This course introduces an anthropological study of nature-culture relations, illustrating its potentials and problems with reference to diverse topics in contemporary environmental politics. During the first half, it introduces prevalent and alternative approaches to understand nature-culture relations, covering key concepts and theories. The second half is dedicated to investigations of seven key environmental issues, including: climate change and energy politics, geoengineering, biodiversity conservation, animals, food, waste, and environmental health. 

Environmental questions have been at the heart of Geography's disciplinary identity for the last century or more. The course introduces some of the questions that geographers have sought to tackle, at the same time as drawing out some of the key issues for environmental politics and policy.  How we make sense of nature matters not only for the kind of environment we want to be a part of, but also for our sense of the political possibilities within the world.  Articulating a position within such debates has been the central task of society-environment geographers for much of the discipline's existence and is the focus in this series of lectures.

This course considers current climate events and case studies in tandem with theoretical concepts and indicators. Topics include the ongoing debates and central concepts of green-growth; understanding the current climate crisis and its relationship with capitalism; faults with using GDP to measure development; international economic relations pertaining to the environment; how to collectively govern natural resources; theories and principles of political instruments to regulate the economy and the environment; and how to transition away from fossil fuels.