Water Dialogues: The Future of Civilization (APA2016.01)

Susan Sgorbati

This course fundamentally will address the following questions:
How do we move out of the historical period of industrial waste and big dams to Water Systems that address climate change, water scarcity, water pollution and clean up, hydropower as a renewable resource and building new infrastructure? How does water affect our personal lives through health, sanitation, and agriculture to larger systems that are geo-political, trans-boundary, energy and transportation? What is Water Activism and how can we contribute to clean water and a sustainable future? In our polarized societies, is it possible to have dialogues over water so that we can thrive by building equitable water systems in the future?

We need to first know:
Complex Systems Analysis to Solve Problems
The Water Cycle and Water Definitions
Water Laws and Regulation: The Clean Water Act, E.P.A. and Vermont Act 64
Water History in Different Parts of the World
Hydropower, Dams and Water as Energy
Water Conflicts
Imagining Water Systems of the Future: Clean Up, New Infrastructure, Education, an Ecological Model with Citizen participation.
We will be working with the staff at TWIN: Transboundary Water In-Cooperation Network: www.transboundarywater.org
and this class will include a 15 hour Certificate of Training in Water Conservation Practices and Early Warning Systems.


Learning Outcomes:
Complex Systems Analysis
Transboundary Water Conflicts
The Water Cycle and Water Definitions
Water Conservation
Early Warning Systems for Water Catastrophes
Water Laws and Regulation


Delivery Method: Fully in-person
Course Level: 2000-level
Credits: 4
M/Th 1:40PM - 3:30PM (Full-term)
Maximum Enrollment: 40
Course Frequency: Every 2-3 years

Categories: 2000 , All courses , CAPA , Four Credit , Fully In-Person
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