KE5062 - Water Resources

This module will be delivered through a diverse range of activities appropriate to the subject and skills. Core subject knowledge will be delivered through lectures, supported by guided independent learning activities. Practical skills will be delivered through supervised IT practicals where you will explore techniques of data processing and modelling. Field trips to different environmental contexts will allow you to learn and apply key practical skills such as observation and environmental monitoring and data collection.

You will be supported academically on this module in the following ways:
- Formal lectures will introduce key topics and provide a scaffold for independent learning and further reading.
- Guided IT workshops to develop data analysis and processing skills.
- Field trips will introduce you to different environments and key concepts in context.
- Formative feedback on activities will be delivered during taught sessions and in the field.

Module content and guidance will be made available by your module tutor in lectures as well as via the virtual learning platform, Blackboard During IT sessions, you will interact closely with teaching staff who will provide formative support (demonstrations are often provided at the start of the class) and feedback on activities leading up to the assessment tasks. You will also benefit from interaction and problem solving with your fellow students in working through guided exercises.

Teaching staff operate an ‘open door’ policy for students meaning you can approach them anytime during normal office hours, or via email, to answer questions, receive feedback and support your learning on the module.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding
1. Analyse the global hydrological cycle, including the distribution, movement, and recirculation of water through atmospheric, terrestrial, and marine systems.
2. Critically evaluate the impacts of anthropogenic stressors such as overextraction, pollution, and climate change on natural water systems and global water security.
Intellectual / Professional Skills & Abilities
3. Apply relevant techniques to monitor and assess water environments, demonstrating proficiency in the manipulation, analysis, and presentation of hydrological data.
4. Integrate systems thinking to interpret complex interactions between natural water processes and human activities, proposing evidence-based solutions to water resource challenges.
Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural Awareness, Ethics, Curiosity)
5. Demonstrate an ethical and globally informed perspective on the sustainable management of water resources, reflecting critically on cultural and societal values surrounding water use and stewardship.

Summative:

The first assessment (2000 words - 50%) will be a report consisting of a critical evaluation of anthropogenic impacts on an aspect of the hydrological cycle, supported by data analysis and visualisation (MLOs 1, 2, 4 and 5).

The second assessment (50%) will be a practical exam (3 hrs) consisting of data analysis, visualisation, and interpretation using a topic drawn from the module. To support this assessment students will be able to prepare a one-page handout which they will be able to take into the exam. This will be prepared in advance and formatively assessed (MLOs 2, 3, and 4).

Formative:

On an on-going basis throughout the module your tutors will give formative feedback on your knowledge and skills during taught sessions. In advance of assessment 2 you will be able to prepare a one-page handout to take into the exam, and formative comments will be provided on this prior to the assessment. Formative feedback throughout the module will help reinforce your learning in a timely manner to support your assessments.

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The circulation of water through the hydrological cycle is a key earth system flow and critical for the survival of humanity. This module explores this essential resource within the context of natural environmental systems and anthropogenic stressors such as overextraction, pollution, and climate change which are increasingly threatening global water supplies.

Adopting a systems perspective, you will explore how water is distributed globally to locally through time and space, how it moves through the landscape, and how it is eventually recirculated through the interface between the terrestrial and coastal/marine environments. At each stage you will critically examine how water is used, and how anthropogenic activities are impacting on this most precious of resources.

Through this module you will learn from researchers working at the cutting edge of the study of water resources, as well as engaging with and applying practical techniques in how we monitor and understand water environments, including field-based activities and working with live data. Your assessments will allow you to demonstrate applied skills in data processing and presentation. Through this you will be provided with many of the skills and experiences which are highly sort after in environmental careers such as consultancy.