ENS 201 Environmental Studies and Disaster Management (2+1)

Syllabus

 

Theory

Unit 1: Multidisciplinary nature of environmental studies Definition, scope and importance

 

Unit 2: Natural Resources: Renewable and non-renewable resources Natural resources and associated

 

problems. a) Forest resources: Use and over-exploitation, deforestation, case studies. Timber extraction, mining, dams and their effects on forest and tribal people. b) Water resources: Use and over-utilization of surface and ground water, floods, drought, conflicts over water, dams-benefits and problems. c) Mineral resources: Use and exploitation, environmental effects of extracting and using mineral resources, case studies. d) Food resources: World food problems, changes caused by agriculture and overgrazing, effects of modern agriculture, fertilizer-pesticide problems, water logging, salinity, case studies. e) Energy resources: Growing energy needs, renewable and non-renewable energy sources, use of alternate energy sources. Case studies. f) Land resources: Land as a resource, land degradation, man induced landslides, soil erosion and desertification. • Role of an individual in conservation of natural resources. • Equitable use of resources for sustainable lifestyles.

 

Unit 3: Ecosystems • Concept of an ecosystem. • Structure and function of an ecosystem. • Producers,consumers and decomposers. • Energy flow in the ecosystem. • Ecological succession. • Food chains, food webs and ecological pyramids. • Introduction, types, characteristic features, structure and function of the following ecosystem. a. Forest ecosystem. b. Grassland ecosystem. c. Desert ecosystem d. Aquatic ecosystems (ponds, streams, lakes, rivers, oceans, estuaries)

 

Unit 4: Biodiversity and its conservation:- Introduction, definition, genetic, species & ecosystem diversity and biogeographical classification of India. Value of biodiversity: consumptive use, productive use, social, ethical, aesthetic and option values. Biodiversity at global, National and local levels, India as a mega-diversity nation. Hot-sports of biodiversity. Threats to biodiversity: habitat loss, poaching of wildlife, man-wildlife conflicts. Endangered and endemic species of India. Conservation of biodiversity: In-situ and Ex-situ conservation of biodiversity.

 

Unit 5 : Environmental Pollution: Definition, cause, effects and control measures of : a. Air pollution. b.Water pollution. c. Soil pollution. d. Marine pollution. e. Noise pollution. f. Thermal pollution. g. Nuclear hazards. Solid Waste Management: causes, effects and control measures of urban and industrial wastes. Role of an individual in prevention of pollution. Pollution case studies.

 

Unit 6: Social Issues and the Environment: From Unsustainable to Sustainable development. Urbanproblems related to energy. Water conservation, rain water harvesting, watershed management. Environmental ethics: Issues and possible solutions, climate change, global warming, acid rain, ozone layer depletion, nuclear accidents and holocaust. Wasteland reclamation. Consumerism and waste products. Environment Protection Act. Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act. Water (Prevention and control of Pollution) Act. Wildlife Protection Act. Forest Conservation Act. Issues involved in enforcement of environmental legislation. Public awareness.

 

Unit 7: Human Population and the Environment: population growth, variation among nations,

population explosion, Family Welfare Programme. Environment and human health: Human Rights, Value

 

Education, HIV/AIDS. Women and Child Welfare. Role of Information Technology in Environment and human health. Case Studies.

 

 

 

 

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

 

Unit 8: Natural Disasters- Meaning and nature of natural disasters, their types and effects. Floods,drought, cyclone, earthquakes, landslides, avalanches, volcanic eruptions, Heat and cold waves, Climatic change: global warming, Sea level rise, ozone depletion.

 

Unit 9 : Man Made Disasters- Nuclear disasters, chemical disasters, biological disasters, building fire, coalfire, forest fire, oil fire, air pollution, water pollution, deforestation, industrial waste water pollution, road accidents, rail accidents, air accidents, sea accidents.

 

Unit 10 : Disaster Management- Effect to migrate natural disaster at national and global levels.International strategy for disaster reduction. Concept of disaster management, national disaster management framework; financial arrangements; role of NGOs, community - based organizations and media. Central, state, district and local administration; Armed forces in disaster response; Disaster response; Police and other organizations.

 

Practical

 

Field work: Visit to a local area to document environmental assets river/forest/grassland/hill/mountain, visit to a local polluted site -Urban/Rural/Industrial/Agricultural, study of common plants, insects, birds and study of simple ecosystems-pond, river, hill slopes, etc.

 

Lecture Schedule

 

1.      Multidisciplinary nature of environmental studies - Definition, scope and importance - Natural Resources: Renewable and non-renewable resources - Natural resources and associated problems

 

2.      Forest resources: Use and over-exploitation, deforestation, case studies - Timber extraction, mining, dams and their effects on forest and tribal people

 

3.      Water resources: Use and over-utilization of surface and ground water - Floods, drought, conflicts over water, dams - benefits and problems

 

4.      Mineral resources: Use and exploitation, environmental effects of extracting and using mineral

 

resources, case studies - Food resources: World food problems, changes caused by agriculture and overgrazing

 

5.      Effects of modern agriculture, fertilizer-pesticide problems, water logging, salinity, case studies - Energy resources: Growing energy needs, renewable and non-renewable energy sources use of alternate energy sources. Case studies.

 

6.      Land resources: Land as a resource, land degradation, man induced landslides - Soil erosion and desertification - Role of an individual in conservation of natural resources - Equitable use of resources for sustainable lifestyles

 

7.      Ecosystems - Concept of an ecosystem - Structure and function of an ecosystem - Producers, consumers and decomposers - Energy flow in the ecosystem - Ecological succession - Food chains, food webs and ecological pyramids

 

 

8.      Introduction, types, characteristic features, structure and function of Forest ecosystem, Grassland ecosystem and Desert ecosystem

 

9.      Introduction, types, characteristic features, structure and function of Aquatic ecosystems : ponds, streams, lakes - Rivers, oceans, estuaries

 

10.  Biodiversity and its conservation - Introduction, definition, genetic, species & ecosystem diversity and biogeographical classification of India- Value of biodiversity: consumptive use, productive use, social, ethical, aesthetic and option values

 

11.  Biodiversity at global, National and local levels - India as a mega-diversity nation - Hotspots of biodiversity - Threats to biodiversity: habitat loss, poaching of wildlife, man-wildlife conflicts

 

12.  Endangered and endemic species of India - Conservation of biodiversity: In-situ and Ex-situ conservation of biodiversity.

 

13.  Environmental Pollution - Definition, cause, effects and control measures of Air pollution and Noise pollution

14.  Definition, cause, effects and control measures of Water pollution and Soil pollution

 

15.  Definition, cause, effects and control measures of Marine pollution, Thermal pollution and Nuclear hazards

 

16.  Solid Waste Management: Causes, effects and control measures of urban and industrial wastes

17.  Mid Semester Examination

 

18.  Role of an individual in prevention of pollution - Pollution case studies - Social Issues and the Environment - From Unsustainable to Sustainable development - Urban problems related to energy

 

19.  Water conservation, rain water harvesting, watershed management - Environmental ethics: Issues and possible solutions, climate change, global warming

 

20.  Acid rain, ozone layer depletion, Nuclear accidents and holocaust - Wasteland reclamation-Consumerism and waste products

 

21.  Environment Protection Act - Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act - Water (Prevention and control of Pollution) Act - Wildlife Protection Act - Forest Conservation Act

 

22.  Issues involved in enforcement of environmental legislation - Public awareness - Human Population and the Environment: Population growth, variation among nations, population explosion, Family Welfare Programme

 

23.  Environment and human health: Human Rights, Value Education, HIV/AIDS - Women and Child Welfare - Role of Information Technology in Environment and human health - Case Studies

 

24.  Disaster Management - Natural Disasters - Meaning and nature of natural disasters, their types and effects - Floods, drought

 

25.  Cyclone, earthquakes, Landslides, avalanches

 

26.  Volcanic eruptions, Heat and cold waves, Climatic change: global warming, Sea level rise, ozone depletion

 

27.  Man Made Disasters - Nuclear disasters, chemical disasters, biological disasters, Building fire, coal fire, forest fire, oil fire

 

28.  Air pollution, water pollution, deforestation, industrial waste water pollution

29.  Road accidents, rail accidents, Air accidents, sea accidents

30.  Disaster Management - Effect to migrate natural disaster at national and global levels

 

31.  International strategy for disaster reduction. Concept of disaster management, national disaster management framework; financial arrangements

 

32.  Role of NGOs, community - based organizations and media in disaster management

33.  Central, state, district and local administration in disaster management

34.  Armed forces in disaster response - Disaster response; Police and other organizations.

 

Practical schedule

 

1.      Visit to a local area to document environmental assets river/forest/grassland/hill/mountain

2.      Energy: Biogas production from organic wastes

3.      Visit to wind mill / hydro power / solar power generation units

4.      Biodiversity assessment in farming system

5.      Floral and faunal diversity assessment in polluted and un polluted system

 

6.      Visit to local polluted site-Urban/Rural/Industrial/Agricultural to study of common plants, insects and birds

 

7.      Environmental sampling and preservation

8.      Water quality analysis: pH, EC and TDS

9.      Estimation of Acidity, Alkalinity

10.  Estimation of water hardness

11.  Estimation of DO and BOD in water samples

12.  Estimation of COD in water samples

13.  Enumeration of E. coli in water sample

14.  Assessment of Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM)

15.  Study of simple ecosystem – pond/river/hills

16.  Visit to areas affected by natural disaster

17.  Practical Examination

 

References

1.      Erach Bharucha, Text book for Environmental studies. University Grants Commission, New Delhi

 

2.      Tyler Miller and Scot Spoolman. 2009. Living in the Environment (Concepts, Connections, andSolutions). Brooks/cole, Cengage learning publication, Belmont, USA

 

3.      P.D. Sharma, 2009, Ecology and Environment, Rastogi Publications, Meerat, India

 

4.      De. A.K., 2010. Environmental chemistry. Published by New Age International Publishers, New Delhi. ISBN:13–978 81 224 2617 5. 384 pp

 

E-References

1.   Dhar Chakrabarti. P.G., 2011. Disaster management - India’s risk management policy frameworks

and key challenges. Published by Centre for Social           Markets (India), Bangalore. 36 pp.

 

2.      Proceedings of 2^nd India disaster management congress, New Delhi. Organized by National Institute of Disaster Management, New Delhi during 4 – 6, November 2009.