Entry requirements

General entry requirements

Learning outcomes

This course covers an overview of ecological, social, and policy perspectives surrounding human security and sustainable development in tropical ecosystems.

On completion of the course, the student shall be able to:

• define 'human security' and give examples of threats to human security in the tropics
• explain the concepts of ecosystem services, sustainable development, socio-ecological resilience, and provide examples of these from tropical systems
• identify characteristics of, and main threats to, tropical ecosystem types
• describe the differences between adaptation and mitigation strategies
• describe international initiatives and their relevance for human security in tropical ecosystems.

Content

An interdisciplinary overview of ecological, social, and policy perspectives in tropical socio-ecological systems with several components:

1. Introduction to key concepts of human security, sustainable development, ecosystems, and ecosystem services.
2. Survey of tropical ecosystem types and their major functions with respect to human security.
3. Overview of major threats to tropical ecosystems.
4. Examination of the links between human security and ecosystems, and implications for human well-being and sustainable development.
5. Interdisciplinary perspectives on the social-political context of these.

Instruction

Lectures, seminars, discussions, and a group project.

Assessment

Active participation in seminars and exercises (5 credits). Active participation in group projects, including written and oral presentation (5 credits).

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the disability coordinator of the university.