GLOBAL CHALLENGES IN WATER AND HEALTH - 2025/6

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 in relation to the protection of human health. 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

Sustainability, Civil & Env Engineering

Module Leader

POND Katherine (Sust & CEE)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

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 safe water and sanitation


• Introduction to chemical and microbiological quality of drinking water


• Water safety planning (both small and large supplies)


• Potable water engineering in low-income settings


• Impacts of climate change and population growth on the quality and quantity of water supplies


• Sustainable sanitation technologies (including the design and location of pit latrines)


• Humanitarian and emergency aid (as related to SDG6)


• Case studies

 

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

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 and the attainment of the sustainable development goals, through an extended essay and podcast.

The ability to appraise the challenges and solutions associated with the provision of potable water and sanitation in low and high income countries, through an extended essay. Thus the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• Podcast 


• Case study essay


• Examination

Suggested titles will be given for essays that will allow students to improve their knowledge about the water sector, writing, analytical and referencing skills.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment will be through a range of exercises such as self-assessment quizzes and class discussion in class and on SurreyLearn.

Feedback

Individual written and/or verbal feedback will be given on assignments and class exercises.

Module aims

• To provide a comprehensive understanding of the core areas of water and environmental engineering in relation to the protection of human health.
  
• To 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.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

• Encourage critical discussion of topics through formal seminars


• Develop class collaboration – for example, through reviewing relevant journal articles/discussing and feeding back topics.


• Develop presentation skills by participants

The seminars include class activities – discussions/review of papers/presentations/class tests. 

Independent study is expected in the form of researching topics and undertaking tasks (assessed and not assessed) set in the additional notes and assignment folders.

Guided learning iakes the form of reading additional provided notes and listening to captured content (both available on SurreyLearn).

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

This module is one of the core subjects (Water and Environmental Engineering). The primary JBM threads for this module include: Sustainability and Health; and this module covers Professionalism and Ethics as a contributory thread.

University of Surrey Curriculum Framework pillars covered by this module:

Sustainability – sustainability is at the core of this module which focuses on the requirements and attainment of sustainable development goals, in particular SDG 6 and the provision of safe water and sanitation for all.

Employability – the subjects covered in this module provide a background for students planning to work in the water industry in any capacity. Professional skills, including presenting information and critical thinking are included.

Resourcefulness and resilience – Students are encouraged to actively engage with in-class group discussions. They are required to research literature and judge the selection of appropriate information independently.   

Global and cultural intelligence – case studies are given from both low- and high-income countries throughout this module to give insights into how access to safe water and sanitation varies across different income settings. Students will use research and grey literature to carry out a case study of a country of their choice to decide on whether that country will meet SDG 6.

Digital capabilities: As with all MSc modules, students are expected to engage with online material and resources via SurreyLearn and encouraged to communicate with one another through the discussion forums created and the self-study questions that have been developed for them.

 

Links to other modules:

• ENGM055 Applied Chemistry and Microbiology
• ENGM289 looks at the public health implications of poor water quality, both microbiological and chemical. It explains the importance of interventions to stop the spread of disease. Students will get practical experience of analyzing water for microbial indicators in ENGM055.
• ENGM036 Wastewater Treatment and Sewerage
• The treatment of water is fundamental to improving health. ENGM036 gives students an in-depth knowledge of the techniques used to treat wastewater and can apply their knowledge of the health implications of poor water quality gained during ENGM289 to see the relevance of this.
• ENGM057 Water Resource Management and Hydraulic modelling
• ENGM289 explores the challenges of flooding and drought from a public health perspective. ENGM057 provide students with an overview of the rationale and importance of integrated water resources management to effectively manage some of the climate challenges being faced by communities around the globe.
• ENGM285 GIS and Remote Sensing: GIS and RS are used in a wide range of disciplines including hydrology, natural resource management and climate change. This module introduces the theoretical foundations and techniques which can be used to solve some of the problems identified in ENGM289 and support decision making in identifying suitable interventions.

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 2025/6 academic year.