GLOBAL CHALLENGES IN WATER AND HEALTH - 2019/0

Module code: ENGM289

Module Overview

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are applicable to both developed and developing nations. SDG 6 (to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all) addresses global challenges in relation to drinking water, notably the limited access to safe water and sanitation faced by billions of people around the world. Additional challenges include increasing pressures on water resources and ecosystems, disasters and the increased risk of droughts and floods due to climate change. This module, through lectures, case studies and class participation will address these issues in the context of water, sanitation and public health. It will provide an understanding of how engineering can help achieve the overall aim of SDG 6, and its associated targets and indictors, by protecting public health through ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation can be built.
The module addresses the aim of the MSc in Water and Environmental Engineering to provide a comprehensive understanding of the core areas of water and environmental engineering. It will give the knowledge and skills needed to explore, critically assess and evaluate problems associated with poor water and sanitation and produce systematic and coherent solutions to protect public health

Module provider

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Module Leader

POND Katherine (Civl Env Eng)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): 30

Overall student workload

Independent Learning Hours: 120

Lecture Hours: 30

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

Progress towards sustainable development goals (SDGs) focusing on SDG 6 and its outcome and implementation targets.
Health impacts of poor access to water, sanitation and hygiene
Introduction to hydrogeology
Water safety planning (both small and large supplies)
Potable water engineering in low-income settings
Impacts of climate change and population growth on the availability of water supplies
Sustainable sanitation technologies (including the design and location of pit latrines)
Humanitarian and emergency aid (as related to SDG6)
Case studies
New approaches to water and sanitation in developing countries

Assessment pattern

Assessment type Unit of assessment Weighting
Coursework Case study 30
Examination Exam 70

Alternative Assessment

None

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate:

Knowledge and understanding of the current global challenges in water and sanitation and how they impact on public health, through a 2 hour unseen examination and extended essay.
The ability to develop and discuss innovative solutions to address the challenges associated with the provision of potable water and sanitation in low income countries, through an extended essay.
The ability to critically evaluate intervention strategies to reduce the risk to human health from water related hazards through an extended essay.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:


Examination (LOs assessed K, C, T. skills ); (70%, 2 hours)
Extended essay (LOs assessed K, C, P, T. skills); (30%, 40 hours)


Formative assessment and feedback

Formative assessment will be through a range of exercises provided in class and on SurreyLearn.

Suggested titles will be given for essays that will allow students to improve their writing, analytical and referencing skills. Individual written and verbal feedback will be given on these essays.


Module aims

  • To inform the participants' knowledge of the current global challenges to water and public health in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals
  • To describe the routes of human exposure to contaminants in the context of the drinking water sources and sanitation.
  • To describe the current approach to water safety planning as advocated by the World Health Organisation.
  •  To develop the participants' knowledge of drinking water and sanitation interventions that can be used to interrupt the transmission of disease
  • To develop the participants’ awareness of the impacts of climate change and population growth on the availability of safely managed water supplies and sanitation.
  • To develop the participants’ writing, presentation and critical analysis skills

Learning outcomes

Attributes Developed
Ref
001 Discuss the role of the Sustainable Development Goals in protecting public health and ensuring sustainable water and sanitation K SM3M SM6M EL4 P4
002 Critically evaluate interventions that can be used to interrupt the transmission of waterborne diseases KC SM3M SM6M EA5M P1 P4
003 Develop and apply an appropriate risk assessment/management approach to small drinking water supplies KCP SM3M SM6M EL4 P1 P4
004 Assess and present, both orally and in writing, opinions and findings associated with critical analysis of the sustainable development goals in relation to water and public health KCPT SM3M SM6M P4 G1 G2

Attributes Developed

C - Cognitive/analytical

K - Subject knowledge

T - Transferable skills

P - Professional/Practical skills

Methods of Teaching / Learning

Formal lectures encouraging class interaction and discussion of topics (approximately 20 hours)
Group work – for example, reviewing relevant journal articles (up to 6 hours).
Group/individual presentations by participants (up to 2 hours)
Class tests – not assessed – to reinforce key messages (up to 2 hours).
Each session will be 3 hours per week made up of approximately 2 hours formal lecture and 1 hour of class activities – discussions/review of papers/presentations/class tests. Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: ENGM289

Other information

None

Programmes this module appears in

Programme Semester Classification Qualifying conditions
Water and Environmental Engineering MSc 1 Compulsory A weighted aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the module
Infrastructure Engineering and Management MSc 1 Optional A weighted aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the module
Advanced Geotechnical Engineering MSc 1 Optional A weighted aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the module
Civil Engineering MSc 1 Optional A weighted aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the module
Structural Engineering MSc 1 Optional A weighted aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the module

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2019/0 academic year.