ENVP40240 Environment and Development

Academic Year 2023/2024

This module provides exposure to key theories, policies and practices in the fields of environment and development. It gives an overview of the evolution of the concept of development, of the international development and cooperation policies and practices, and of how they integrate environment, climate change and sustainability.

Environmental sustainability, climate-resilience and equity are critical component of all countries’ ability to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Governments and institutions have been developing approaches to aligning international development cooperation with the environmental agreements and policy frameworks (e.g. Paris Agreement, Convention on Biological Diversity) strengthening their efforts to support development partners in building their sustainability pathways.

Focusing on environment and development issues together the module aims at building an understanding of how development and environmental degradation and change are interrelated and what policies and measures have been implemented and how they addressed both development and environmental challenges.

After introducing the key concepts and theories on international development and human-environment interaction, the module provides a review of global and European international development and cooperation programmes and policy frameworks for improving environmental and human living conditions and well-being. It then examines national and local strategies to address challenges such as poverty, diseases, lack of access to resources and services, environmental degradation, and environmental conflicts and justice with a focus on low- and medium-income countries.

To understand the relationship between the environment and development, the module also engages the students in research-based activities and critical analysis of international case studies and examples of partnerships and development cooperation projects and programmes. It explores different sectors of international development and cooperation including urbanisation, infrastructure development, environmental change, natural resource management and extraction, agriculture and food production, ecosystem services and biodiversity.

Students’ knowledge and skills are applied to analyse environment and development challenges, to conduct problem-based research both individually and in group and to draft policy changes and recommendations to address specific challenges on the environment-development nexus.
Students will develop their theoretical understanding and critical thinking and the ability to produce knowledge to support policy decisions in interdisciplinary and international environments.