Study of environmental issues in developing countries, including
water, soil, and air contamination resulting from human impacts
and industrial development. Strategies to mitigate or manage
contamination issues will also be discussed.
Athena Title
Environ Issues Dev World
Prerequisite
BIOL 1103 or BIOL 1103E or BIOL 2103H or BIOL 2103S or BIOL 1107 or BIOL 1107E or BIOL 2107H
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring and summer
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to identify and describe causes of environmental degradation in developing countries in the context of each country’s culture and history.
Students will be able to communicate and discuss public health ramifications of key environmental concerns of selected developing countries.
Students will be able to evaluate the effectiveness of governments in select countries to protect the environment, including the existence and enforcement of environmental laws and regulations.
Students will be able to compare remediation strategies of developed versus developing countries and evaluate them for appropriateness and potential effectiveness in the developing world.
Students will be able to create infographics and education materials on a developing world issue that distills and conveys complex, science-based information into a form understandable by the public.
Students will be able to analyze the causes of environmental degradation in developing countries by examining historical, cultural, and socio-economic factors.
Students will be able to critique the effectiveness of governmental policies and regulatory frameworks in protecting the environment within selected developing countries.
Topical Outline
The Sustainable Development Goals; progress and future needs, impediments, and solutions.
Major pollution sources and effects (environmental and human health), focusing on issues specific to the developing world. Topics to be covered include sanitation; agriculture; mining; power generation; hazardous waste generation, disposal, and recycling; desertification; and others.
Environmental regulations of developing world compared with regulatory structure of developed countries.
Effects of history, politics, economics, and culture on environmental quality in developing countries.
Pollution remediation strategies for developing versus developed countries; What is appropriate and effective in developing world?
Role of developed world in protecting environmental quality in developing countries.
Environmental justice issues.
Institutional Competencies
Analytical Thinking
The ability to reason, interpret, analyze, and solve problems from a wide array of authentic contexts.
Critical Thinking
The ability to pursue and comprehensively evaluate information before accepting or establishing a conclusion, decision, or action.
Social Awareness & Responsibility
The capacity to understand the interdependence of people, communities, and self in a global society.
