Undergraduate Course: Catchment Water Resources (GEGR10023)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This is a 20-credit Honours course focusing on the interactions between human activities and water resources. |
| Course description |
We first demonstrate how an understanding of processes in the physical environment is important for managing water resources. We then explore how simulation modelling is used within integrated catchment management. The course explores a number of contemporary themes in water resources management including sustainable urban drainage, natural flood management and river restoration. The course comprises of lectures by the academic course team and discussions on relevant real-world issues led by invited water resource managers and professional practitioners. Students learn how to build a simple hydrological model, undertake group work to examine sustainable drainage structures and learn how to evaluate a range of catchment management plans. The course is suitable for students from different degree programmes and backgrounds (primarily MA and BSc Geography and BSc Ecological & Environmental Sciences), enabling students to apply their different disciplinary perspectives and expertise to common problems of water resources management.
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Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 40 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
196 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
60 %,
Coursework
40 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Hydrological Modelling Project (40%)
24-Hour Take-Home Exam (60%)
Students must attain an overall mark of 40% (or above) in order to pass the course. |
| Feedback |
During the courses, students will have the following opportunities for feedback:
1. Students will receive written feedback from staff on the the formative catchment management presentations in groups.
2. The hydrological model building reports will be marked and returned with written feedback.
3. During the revision session in the final week of the students will have the opportunity to discuss any aspect of the course with staff.
4. Students who wish to submit practice exam essays in good time will receive written feedback from staff.
5. Exam feedback sessions will be arranged in Semester 2 in which students will be able to see their exam scripts and discuss them with staff. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand how land use change affects the quality and quantity of water resources and have knowledge of techniques for mitigating any adverse impacts.
- Have practised applying your knowledge to evaluate the suitability of different contemporary techniques in water resource management.
- Be able to critically evaluate and consolidate different sources of evidence pertaining to the effects of land use on water resources and the effectiveness of mitigation techniques.
- Have practised and received feedback on your oral presentation and report-writing skills and will have constructed and evaluated your own computer-based hydrological model.
- Have demonstrated autonomy and time-management in the execution of the hydrological modelling exercise and also gained experience of working in a group to research for and prepare an oral presentation.
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Reading List
Jones, J.J.A. (1997) Global Hydrology; Processes, Resources and Environmental Management. Longman.
Newson, M.D. (2008) Land, water and development: sustainable and adaptive management of rivers. Routledge.
Newson, M.D. (1994) Hydrology and the River Environment. Clarendon Press, Oxford
Shaw, E.M. Beven, K.J. Chappell, N.A , Lamb, R. (2010) Hydrology in Practice (4th edition). Spon Press.
Ward, R.C. and Robinson, M. (1999) Principles of Hydrology (4th Ed). McGraw Hill. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
1. Exercise autonomy and initiative in completing complex assignments within time-limits.
2. Consolidate and critically review scientific evidence.
3. Make judgements where data is limited or conflicting.
4. Interpret and evaluate numerical and graphical data.
5. Present specialist information in talks and reports. |
| Special Arrangements |
This course is open to 3rd and 4th year students. This course is open to all university students, but priority will be given to students on the Geography Degree Programmes. Students from other programmes may be able to join if there is space. Please contact geoset.ug.drummond@ed.ac.uk to check availability. |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
The course comprises of lectures by the academic course team with guest lectures on relevant real-world issues by water resource practitioners, a half day field trip and computer-based workshops on simulation modelling. |
| Keywords | Hydrology,River Restoration,Urban Drainage,Computer Modelling,Catchment Management |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Neil Stuart
Tel: (0131 6)50 2549
Email: N.Stuart@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Leigh Corstorphine
Tel: (0131 6)50 9847
Email: lcorstor@ed.ac.uk |
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