1.0 Faculty : Faculty of Local Government Administration
2.0 Programme Name : MSc Environmental Science, Policy and Management
4.0 Background
Concerns for the environment have gained ascendancy in the light of its speed of deterioration and the concomitant adverse effect on the social, health, and economic dimensions of society. All over the world, environmental problems have manifested in the pollution and degradation of natural habitats, and in the disposal of waste generated by human activities. Although science and management techniques to mitigate these environmental problems and the concomitant policy frameworks and legal regimes have evolved to the point where there is increased capacity to deal with the problems, such technical knowledge, policy frameworks and legal regimes are not equally accessible. There is a dearth of such technical, policy ands legal capacity in developing countries leading to a situation of lax environmental standards and destructive social practices. Hitherto, obtaining such capacity could only be gained in developed countries, a situation that glossed over critical local contextual issues. Given the critical role of environmental managers and policy makers in the sustainable management of nature and in the mitigation of human activities that adversely impact the environment, there is the need to build such capacity locally. The Masters programme in Environmental Science, Policy and Management is a two-year post-graduate course designed as a response to these concerns.
5.0 Justification for the Programme
The programme is designed to prepare students to identify, develop and implement effective solutions to environmental challenges, with particular emphasis on developing country contexts. The programme aims to generate understanding of the scientific principles underlying environmental changes and stimulate the requisite social, economic, legal and policy capacity for practicing and potential decision-makers in central and local government, as well as corporate businesses, and other non-state organizations.
It offers a comprehensive and multidisciplinary curriculum in environmental studies that challenge students' ability to integrate theory and practice for systematic analysis, holistic understanding, and management of key environmental issues in various social contexts.
Above all the programme would ensure that institutions which who are involved in teaching environmental courses would have enough specialist in the field.
With these dimensions in view, our syllabus and combination of subjects are devised to produce the technocrats to the service the nation and the general public.
6.0 Aims and Objectives
The objectives of the programme are to
- Empower students with skills for translating environmental knowledge into policy frameworks and management strategies.
- Strengthen the capacity of students through the development of appropriate research, communication and other professional skills,
- Systematically elaborate a participatory instructional approach by which lecturers and students will interact for effective learning and cross-learning
- Equip students to improve their analytical thinking in the assessment of environmental impacts of human activities
- Develop the students’ professional attitudes, the interpersonal and entrepreneurial skills required by practitioners in the environmental management industry
7.0 Admission Requirements and Target Group:
It is aimed at middle and senior level functionaries and policy practitioners working in the public or private sectors as well as at international, regional, national or local levels. In addition the course is open to prospective students with career interests in the subject of environmental science, policy and management. This includes people working in corporate sector, civil society and non-governmental organisations. The course is also open to researchers and faculty in academia aspiring for careers or with research interest in the subject. Candidates applying for the Masters programme in Environmental Science, Policy and Management should have an undergraduate degree – preferably Geography, Natural Resources, Agricultural Science, Biological Sciences, Planning, Civil Engineering, Economics and other related courses – Applicants to the programme must have a First or Second Class (Lower Division) honours degree from a recognized university/tertiary institution or an equivalent approved by the Institute.
8.0 Career Opportunities
Graduates from this programme will be equipped to address environmental challenges at any level, depending on their specialisation. Following their participation, graduates are well positioned to operate optimally within international and national environmental regulatory bodies, national policy departments and agencies, environmental health departments of local governments, policy think-tanks and civil society advocacy groups as well as serve in advisory capacities for environmentally conscious community- and faith-based organisations.
The course also provides opportunity for those intending to further their training at the doctoral level in any particular specialised aspect of environmental science, policy and management.
9.0 Teaching Approach
The course will be administered through a varied set of teaching approaches with the aim of ensuring an optimal learning environment is created for the participants. Besides the conventional instructional approach, participants shall be involved in and undertake group work, field visits, demonstrations and practice, role playing, seminar presentations, and self-study. The professional experiences of participants and facilitators will be an integral part of the learning and cross-learning by which the course will ensure knowledge diffusion.
10.0 Graduation Requirements
- Candidates shall pass all courses and obtain minimum total credits of 43.
- Candidates shall report a minimum of 4 weeks of internship duly assessed.
- Candidates shall attend and pass an oral examination on their thesis.
- Complete an Internship
- To pass a course, a student must obtain a minimum of 50% of the marks available and an average of 55% for all courses.
11.0 Programme Structure
Students are required to undertake internship, workshops and a research dissertation. In addition to these, students will be required to complete 8 core courses and four electives for the academic year broken into two semesters.
|
COURSE CODE |
COURSE TITLE |
T |
P |
C |
|
ESPM 501 |
Biodiversity & Conservation |
2 |
3 |
3 |
|
ESPM 503 |
Environmental Thought and Policy |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
ESPM 505 |
Sustainable Development, Environmental Planning & Management |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
ESPM 509 |
Environmental Management and GIS |
2 |
3 |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 ELECTIVES |
|
6 |
0 |
6 |
|
|
TOTAL CREDITS |
16 |
6 |
18 |
YEAR ONE: SEMESTER ONE- CORE COURSES
YEAR ONE: SEMESTER ONE- ELECTIVE COURSES
|
COURSE CODE |
COURSE TITLE |
T |
P |
C |
|
ESPM 511 |
Energy Production, Use & Conservation |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
ESPM 513 |
International Environmental Law |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
ESPM 515 |
Environmental Economics and Valuation |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
ESPM 527 |
Environments, Business and Society |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
ESPM 539 |
Environmental Strategies at the Local Level |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
ESPM 504 |
Principles of Environmental Justice |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
ESPM 525 |
Water Resources & the Hydrological Cycle |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
COURSE CODE |
COURSE TITLE |
T |
P |
C |
|
ESPM 502 |
Climate Change |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
ESPM 533 |
Environmental Policy Frameworks & Legal Reforms in Ghana |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
ESPM 506 |
Environmental Assessment |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
ESPM 508 |
Research Methods |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
2 ELECTIVES
|
|
6 |
0 |
6 |
|
|
Total Credits |
18 |
3 |
19 |
YEAR ONE: SEMESTER TWO- CORE COURSES
|
COURSE CODE |
COURSE TITLE |
T |
P |
C |
|
ESPM 529 |
Waste Management |
2 |
3 |
3 |
|
ESPM 531 |
Marine Ecosystems |
2 |
3 |
3 |
|
ESPM 535 |
Gender and Environment |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
ESPM 537 |
Wildlife Resource Management |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
ESPM 541 |
Tourism and Environment |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
ESPM 545 |
Wetlands Management |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
ESPM 510 |
Environment & GIS II |
2 |
3 |
3 |
|
ESPM 547 |
Environment and GIS III |
2 |
3 |
3 |
|
ESPM 543 |
Soil and Coastal Erosion |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
ESPM 519 |
Contamination and Remediation |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
ESPM 523 |
Sectoral Management Strategies |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
ESPM 521 |
Environment and Politics |
3 |
0 |
3 |
YEAR ONE: SEMESTER TWO- ELECTIVE COURSES
YEAR TWO (SEMESTER ONE AND TWO)
|
COURSE CODE |
COURSE TITLE |
T |
P |
C |
|
ESP 550 |
Thesis |
0 |
36 |
12 |
|
ESP 552 |
Internship |
0 |
12 |
4 |
|
ESP 554 |
Study trips/Workshops |
0 |
12 |
4 |
|
|
Total Credits |
0 |
60 |
20 |
12.0 DESCRIPTION OF COURSES
- Core courses
ESPM 501 Biodiversity and Conservation (2, 3, 3)
Conserving the Earth's remaining biodiversity is one of the most important challenges facing humanity. However, there are no easy solutions because biodiversity conservation has to operate in complex socio-economic, political, cultural and institutional environments. Successful conservation practitioners must span academic disciplines and combine advanced social skills with intellectual rigour. They also need to work effectively in both a conventional office environment and some of the most inhospitable places on the planet. This course develops knowledge and critical understanding of conservation and biodiversity science and practice, and the socio-economic, political, cultural and institutional environments within which policy and management decisions are made.
Objectives:
The course will provide students with:
- Knowledge to understand global biodiversity, genetic, species, ecosystem diversity global biodiversity
- Both theoretical and practical knowledge to appraise social, ethical and policy issues surrounding biodiversity.
- Skills to examine current threats associated with biodiversity.
Key topics:
- Definition and measurement of biodiversity
- Rates of biodiversity loss
- Socio-economic aspects of biodiversity
- Integrated pollution control
- National biodiversity policy
- Extinction threats
- Over-exploitation
- Sustainability
- Biogeography
ESPM 503 Environmental Thought and Policy (3, 0, 3)
The intellectual basis through which the debate on the environment has evolved is very critical for aspiring and practicing policy makers and researchers in environmental science, policy and management. This course is a foundational building block in the programme that draws attention to the ideas, concepts, theories, principles, arguments, outcomes, milestones, the movements and their underlying dispositions that have emerged in the trajectory of the main thoughts surrounding the environment. It exposes students to the leading thinkers on the environment as well as the debate encounters that have shaped considerations of the environment.
Key topics
The course shall treat the following topics among others;
- Evolution of Environmental concepts and policies
- The Environmental Management Processes Law
- Environmental policy formulation process
- Process and procedure for implementing Environmental Policy
- Monitoring and Evaluating Environmental Policy implementation Process
- Principal Subjects of International Environmental Law.
Objectives:
At the end of the course, students must be in a position to
- Articulate their own environmental values within the framework of the evolving paradigms
- Discuss the link between rights and the environment
- Debate the goals of environmental policy within the framework of the principles and philosophy of environmental consciousness.
ESPM 505 Sustainable Development and Environmental Planning and Management (3,0,3)
The issues concerning the environment are not purely scientific but rely also on planning and management. They are part of corporate vision, mission, and strategy which need to be effectively planned to remain competitive. The purpose of this course is to introduce environmental planning and management in the Ghana. It therefore explores the nature of the inter-relationship between environmental systems and human systems, and examines the complexity of environmental policy, planning and management.
For the past years there has been growing consensus of the importance of sustainable development for the preservation of the humankind and the environment and that the major challenges for sustainable development are how to: reduce poverty, Double available food without excessive use of synthetic chemicals, conserve of natural habitats, reduce the degradation of marginal lands, Provide energy services without environmental degradation, Provide access to water to meet basic needs, and Develop healthy urban environments. This course explores the concepts and approaches of sustainable development.
Objectives:
At the end of the course, students will be exposed to conceptual knowledge on sustainable development that will help them to:
- Examine policy responses to environmental problems caused by economic development with special attention to innovation.
- Understand the role of theory in sustainable development.
- Examine institutional theory and governance – how the plurality of interests is transformed into coordinated action and the compliance of actors is achieved.
- Evaluate and present a range of options and alternatives using environmental planning concepts for the prevention or remediation of environmental problems of pollution, deforestation, erosion, loss of wetlands, habitat fragmentation, and climate change
Key Topics:
- Sustainable Livelihoods Approach and poverty
- Sustainable development
- Societal transformations
- Institutional theory
- Governance for sustainable development
- Capacity development for innovation
- Environmental management will be addressed in relation to economic development and poverty alleviation.
- A number of policy implementation tools will be introduced such as environmental information management systems, valuation of natural resources and economic policy tools, and environmental impact assessment.
- Policy enforcement and compliance will be discussed as an essential element in achieving environmental policy goals.
ESPM 509 Environmental Management and GIS I (2, 3, 3)
Environmental management plays a key role in sustaining human economic activity and well-being or improved human quality of life. The environment must be protected for its own inherent worth and especially to leave a legacy of fully functioning natural resources for generations yet unborn.
Sustainable environmental management is important because it refers to activities of humans which have direct impact on the environment as a whole. It presumed that, those activities will continue in perpetuity and therefore right strategies must be adopted to effectively manage it. It is a term that attempts to balance the often conflicting ideals of economic growth and maintaining environment al quality and viability.
The three interacting components required for successful natural resource and environmental management, namely policy, participation and information are especially critical in less developed countries where infrastructure is often rudimentary
A model is an abstraction or simplification of reality (Odum 1975, Jeffers 1978, Duer et al. 1979). When models are applied to the environment it is anticipated that insights about the physical, biological and socio-economic system may be derived.
Models may also prediction and simulation of future conditions both in space and time. The reason to build models is to understand and ultimately manage a sustainable system.
Objectives:
The objective of this module is to equip students with the necessary tools in GIS and Remote Sensing to be able to create and analyze modes as far as environmental spatial information systems is concerned.
Students will be introduced to the various components of natural environment such as biological diversity, water quality, soil, while simultaneously maintain human welfare for example provision of food, housing and sanitation.
GIS and Remote Sensing will be employed to derive models necessary for predictions and forecast of natural occurrences. It is also anticipated that students will be introduced to Open Source GIS.
Key topics:
- Introduction to GIS and Remote Sensing
- Open Source and GIS
- Application of GIS and remote sensing in environment management
- Spatial information system and modeling
- Use of Geoinformation and environmental monitoring
- Extreme weather events-techniques for modelling nature hazards
- Geoinformation and environmental impact assessment (IES)
- Environmental project management
ESPM 502 Climate Change (3, 0, 3)
Climate change is one of the most important issues facing society presently and in the future. The social and economic cost of climate change is estimated to be very high compelling the urgent need for developing the requisite technical knowledge, research skills and policy awareness to combat the envisaged adverse impacts. Reducing the occurrence of climate change and adapting to climate changes will require difficult decisions about the way the economy and society are structured - locally, nationally and internationally. Underlying these requirements is a question of the science of climate change. This will be the basis of this course as students are introduced to the scientific conditions generating the current discussions of climate change. In addition students will also be introduced to the science behind the actions that potentially can remedy the adverse impact of climate change.
Objectives:
To endow candidates with critical thinking and analytical skills to:
- Understand climate change processes and their direct and indirect interactions with development.
- Explore possible mitigation and adaptation responses to the risks associated with climate change.
Key Topics:
Structure and composition of the atmosphere;
Causes of climate change and variability and the greenhouse effect;
Current issues and approaches to climate change vulnerability,
Adaptation and mitigation;
Ethical issues of science in climate change debates;
Introduction to domestic policy instruments for climate change mitigation and adaptation; Case studies of climate policies, from Ghana and other countries.
Learning approaches: lectures, group work, and field excursions.
ESPM 533 Environmental Policy Frameworks and Legal Reforms in Ghana (3, 0, 3)
It is believed that a healthy environment is necessary for the well-being of society, our people and our business, and is the foundation for a sustainable and strong economy. It is also recognized that diverse, healthy natural resources - fresh water, oceans, air, forests, grasslands, and agro-systems - are a critical component of social and sustainable economic development. Forests are particularly important for the environment and biodiversity. They are vital to water and air quality, and help regulate climates. Forests are home to thousands of wildlife species, and, at the same time, represent a natural source of timber. The key challenge for society is to manage the competing human demands on land, soil and vegetation without undermining crucial ecosystem functions.
This course provides an overview of key issues in global and national environmental policy. The course outlines the legal, regulatory and institutional framework that guides the built and natural environment in Ghana. Students will be exposed to the policy and legislative framework governing environmental issues that are enforced by the Ghana Environmental Protection Agency which include Environmental Protection Agency Act (Act 490), Environmental Assessment Regulations and Pesticides Control and Management Act 1996 (Act 528). Arguably existing legal and policy frameworks are not always or entirely adequate to resolving key challenges of the environment. As a result, understanding the prerequisites for reforming prevailing environmental legislative and institutional frameworks is becoming critical in recent times. Besides there is an increasing need to enhance the awareness of practitioners and policy makers of the imperatives for translating international laws and conventions into local frameworks. The demand for such interpretative skills is further complicated by the need to abstract critical contextual factors in order for such international laws to be relevant. The course will thus equip students with knowledge of the Ghana’s prevailing environmental policy framework and enable them to comprehend the tools and processes required for interpreting and translating international environmental regimes and undertaking institutional reforms.
Objectives:
At the end of the course, students will be
- Aware of the policy, legal and institutional framework for environmental management prevailing in Ghana
- Capable of assessing the adequacy of the prevailing regulatory system governing environmental management in Ghana
- Knowledgeable in institutional reform agendas, common pool resource theory and international regime theory as they apply to the Ghanaian context,
- Understand the role of science in international and national environmental politics both in theory and in practice in Ghana
Key topics
- Environmental policy framework of Ghana
- Institutionalization of environmental management in Ghana
- Legal and policy reform
- Localising international policy conventions
- The informal sector in Ghana and the Environment
- Climate change and the local environment
ESPM 506 Environmental Assessment
Urban lifestyles characterized by high consumption levels, exuberant use of natural resources, excessive production of waste, a widening gap between rich and poor, and rapid growth of the global human population pose a major problem for the future survival of our species. Urban development must therefore meet the needs of the present generations without compromising the needs of future generations. Putting this goal into practice remains a major challenge. This course introduces students to "sustainability assessment," a new concept that aims to help in steering societies in a more sustainable direction, and applies this concept to cities. It deals with practical ways to reach a more sustainable state in urban areas through such tools as strategic environmental assessment, sustainability assessment, direction analysis, baseline setting and progress measurement, sustainability targets, and ecological footprint analysis. With these tools, humans can maintain or improve the health, productivity, and quality of their lives in harmony with nature. Environmental assessment is a procedure that ensures that the environmental implications of decisions are taken into account before the decisions are made. The process involves an analysis of the likely effects on the environment, recording those effects in a report, undertaking a public consultation exercise on the report, taking into account the comments and the report when making the final decision and informing the public about that decision afterwards.
The course provides essential knowledge in utilizing contemporary assessment tools including environmental impact assessment (EIA), Sectoral impact assessment, strategic environmental assessment (SEA), health impact assessment (HIA). Students will be introduced to the various stages of these tools.
Objectives:
At the end of this course students will
- Appreciate the means of anticipating the environmental effects of a proposed action.
- Be equipped on the approaches to framing and resolving problems at the interface of the environment and human activities.
- Be able to appropriately apply the different tools indifferent circumstances.
ESPM 508 Research Methods I (2, 3, 3)
Students on the programme require effective research skills and knowledge of different methods for the project work component of the course as well as for their professional lives. Therefore, the objective of this module is that by the end of the programme, students would have been acquainted with the different dimensions of research in environmental management and policy and exposed to the issues in and methods for conducting relevant research.
Objectives:
Students will be equipped with the skills to:
- Conduct both qualitative and quantitative research in environmental management and policy issues.
- Apply rigours research findings to solve practical environmental management and policy problems.
Key Topics:
- Purposes, types and issues in research in environmental management and policy making
- Framing a research: problem identification and framing; philosophical and methodological issues; selecting a framework of analysis, an analytical model; objectives setting; formulating research questions and hypothesis; sampling techniques
- Types of data, their uses and sources: quantitative data; qualitative data; secondary data; primary data
- Methods of data collection including
- literature and secondary data identification using electronic search engines;
- conduct of surveys;
- qualitative methods including interviewing, participant observation, consultations, rapid appraisals and participatory techniques (focus group discussions, social maps, listings, rankings and scoring, time-lines, seasonality analysis, trend analysis, cause-impact diagrams/flow diagrams, case studies, community score cards/community voice cards, community walks amongst others
- Preparation of data-gathering instruments (DGI): questionnaires, checklists, matrices
- Data Analysis: Cleaning and coding of data
- Quantitative analysis using various statistical packages
- Qualitative analysis
- Presentation of data.
- The role of validation workshops in data analysis
- Research report writing
The module will be taught through a variety of teaching/learning approaches including lectures, practical exercises, small group discussions and case studies. Students will be encouraged to apply the skills and knowledge provided to their own work. Assessment will be on the basis of how the knowledge provided has been applied.
- Elective courses
ESPM 511 Energy Production, Use and Conservation (3, 0, 3)
The energy sector is one of the most polluting sectors and at the same time one of the most capital intensive of any economy. Yet energy is arguably the most critical input for economic and social development, for which reason, its production and use is pursued, often, without regard to its impacts on the environment. Increasingly, many countries desire energy sufficiency using methods and technologies that strain the environment and consequently international relations significantly. This creates tensions and challenges within the energy – environment nexus. An environmental expert or manager can not deal with the energy–environment nexus without understanding how the sector functions from planning of the infrastructure, use of the outputs, and management of the pollution that is generated. Even more important is the need to identify new sources of energy that are sustainable and renewable given the finite quantum of most of the conventional energy sources. Renewable energy, driven by the quest for sustainability, supports the configuration of a new framework that delivers a harmonious relationship within the energy – environment nexus.
This course reviews the energy sector in relation to the environmental problems caused by the production, transport, storage and use of different forms of energy. Urban areas are the major consumers of energy in most countries as it is required by urban-based industries, services, households and modes of transportation. This course presents an overview of the energy sector by first explaining its importance in the framework of economic development. The course further gives consideration to the structure of energy production and consumption. The role and possibilities of energy demand management and energy conservation are reviewed within the context of the sector’s structure and planning. Simulation exercises will be undertaken to enhance students appreciation of the complexities involved in planning and demand management. The critical aspects of energy in the context of the urban environment as well as environmental impacts of energy at the various stages of production and use are then treated. The theories underlining pollution mitigation measures in energy production and use will be discussed. Finally the course will utilise case studies from different regions to draw students’ attention to the need and potential for innovations in energy use.
Objectives:
- The objective of this course is to introduce the energy sector and its structure and rationalise its importance for national development.
- It is intended that students will become aware of the planning methodologies associated with different types of energy sources and uses.
- Students will be equipped to adequately engage in the theoretical debates within the energy sector as well as to become effective advocates of environmentally-aware good practice of energy production and use.
Key Topics:
- Overview of Energy Resources
- Energy Usage
- Electricity Generation
- Renewable Energy
- Demand Management in the Built Environment
ESPM 513 International Environmental Law (3, 0, 3)
This course introduces students to the principles, rules and features of international laws and conventions that set norms for global subscription. The course also discusses international and national legal processes involved in resolving environmental disputes, including the principles guiding relevant actions to be taken, the principles and rules underlying environmental problems. The interrelationship between various legal regimes as well as the charters of the various international development and regulatory agencies such as the UN, IMO, IAEA, and the World Bank are discussed. The regimes of environmental governance set up under various regional agencies such as the European Union, the African Union, and ECOWAS are also addressed.
Key Topics
Students will be introduced to areas such as;
- General Principles of International Environmental Law
- The institutional structure of international environmental Governance
- The role of the United Nations and other Non Governmental Organizations, individuals and indigenous groups in the Environmental management process
- State responsibility for environmental damage including the 2001 Articles of state responsibility and the 1969 Vienna Convention.
- From Stockholm to Copenhagen through Rio, Johannesburg and Kyoto – A historical development of international environmental laws, policies and conventions
- The International Standards Organisation (ISO)
Objectives:
- Appreciate the existing traditional dispute settlement procedures and their usefulness in environmental justice
- Analyze and advise policy makers on the civil liability regimes and assess their importance as a means of achieving international protection of the environment.
- Be equipped with issues on trade and the Environment from the point of compatibility of multilateral Agreements and within the provisions of the World Trade Organisation (WTO)
ESPM 515 Environmental Economics and Valuation (3, 0, 3)
The subject of environmental economics is at the forefront of environmental debate: the environment can no longer be viewed as an entity separate from the economy. This calls for the need to analyze contemporary environmental issues from the point of view of economic effects and their consequences for human well-being. There is the need to understand the economic importance of environmental degradation and the economic causes of degradation as well as design economic incentives to slow, halt, or reverse that degradation. The course is intended to address these pressing issues.
Objectives:
- To introduce students to key contemporary issues in environmental economics
- Equip students with tools and methodologies to analyse and address environmental problems in an economic framework.
Key topics
- Environmental resources; classification of environmental resources, environmental degradation.
- environmental resource survey and land evaluation leading to land use planning
- Soil survey: soil classification, soil mapping, soil monitoring
- Climate, forests, water etc survey: agroclimatology, water resources assessment, forest resource assessment etc.
- The theory of dynamically efficient resource markets;
- The economics of market allocation;
- Reasons for market failure and inefficient resource use (monopolies, imperfect information on quality, safety, etc government failures, inequity, externalities);
- The concept of property rights:
- Common pool resources; public goods.
- Theory of efficiency-enhancing policy interventions (Pigovian Taxes (Environmental Taxes), Environmental Regulations (Standards), Bargaining solution (Coase solution), Conservation
ESPM 527 Environments, Business and Society (3, 0, 3)
Local governance involves stakeholders taking joint responsibility organizing their way of life in local jurisdictions, including optimally nurturing, mobilising, safe-guarding and allocating the resources available to their populations. In the exercise of this mandate, staff of local authorities are required to provide appropriate support to assemblies on how to maintain an effective relationship between local economic development and sustainable environments in dynamic social contexts. This course will therefore be devoted to examining the links between the environment, business and societal life and provide students with the opportunity to develop insights into how these can be effectively managed.
Key topics
Amongst other topics, the course will explore theoretical and conceptual frameworks relating to society, social values, norms and socio-cultural practices and environmental management (including such models as the tragedy of the commons). Furthermore the course will interrogate
- Traditional and informal economic activities and their links to and implications for local environment such as farming, agro-processing, fuel production, non-timber forest products;
- management of natural and environmental resources for domestic and community life
- current challenges and topical issues in environmental management
- large, formal private sector undertakings and sustainable environmental management using extractive industries as a particular focus (mineral, timber, oil) and relations between local elites, local authorities, concessionaires and local populations;
- emerging economic initiatives and the environment including those arising from the tourism, information communication technology
- the roles and responsibilities of local authorities and different stakeholders in environmental management for local community and business life
- Partnership modalities for environmental management.
Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, students will be in a position to
- Lead discussions on the necessary changes in socio-cultural and institutional practices for improving environmental management
- Determine the requisite tools for implementing policy and organisational reforms for achieving positive results in environmental management
- Manage the tensions between environment and development on the basis of the longer term imperative for sustainability
ESPM 539 Environmental Strategies at the Local Level (3, 0, 3)
The National Environmental Policy-1988; the Environmental Sanitation Policy-1999 (Revised 2007-Draft); the Environmental Protection Agency Act-1994; the Environmental Assessment Regulations-1999; the Local Government Act-1993; the National Building Regulations-1996; the Water Resources Commission Act-1996 and the various byelaws of the District/Municipal/Metropolitan Assemblies (MMDAs) provide a policy and legal framework for environmental management in Ghana. In addition to the above policies and legislations, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, the EPA and the Ministry of Health have prepared guidelines/standards for environmental health management. To this end, there are requirements for MMDAs to adopt environmental management strategies that will be sustainable and effective.
This course is therefore intended to examine effective strategies for managing environmental concerns at the local level. It also examines the challenges faced by environmental health practitioners in translating policies into actions on the ground. Specifically, the course will:
- Examine critical environmental issues that have evolved in the recent times
- Highlight the legal framework and institutional arrangements for effective environmental sanitation and management at the district level
- Clarify the roles and responsibilities of the functionaries and stakeholders at the local level in the delivery of environmental sanitation and management
- Examine some strategies for effective environmental management
- Share experiences on the benefits of environmental sanitation improvements at the district level.
Objectives:
At the end of the course, students will be able to design strategies and generate localized solutions to global and current environmental concerns.
Key topics:
- Common Facts about the Environment, Environmental Management Concepts
- Overview of the environmental problem at the local level
- Key environmental management concepts
- Environmental Sanitation and Management Issues in Ghana
- Ineffective public education and communication strategies
- Issues about land acquisition for public waste disposal;
- The challenges of financial and material resource mobilisation;
- The shift of attention has gone to curative instead of the preventive aspect of sanitation;
- Law enforcement issues and issues of professional workforce including engineers, planners and administrators for planning, management, policy formulation and research
- Legal Framework for Environmental Management at the District Level
- Stakeholder Analysis in Environmental Management: A Shared Responsibility
- Effective Strategies for Environmental Management
- Environmental Communication and Behaviour Change including education, information and communication; social marketing; advocacy and; community mobilisation
- Making Political Commitments, Legislations and Regulations
- Capacity Building for Effective Environmental Management
- Mobilising Financial Resources for Environmental Management Programmes and Policies
- Monitoring and Evaluating Progress
ESPM 504 Principles of Environmental Justice (3, 0, 3)
This course introduces students to the general principles of Environmental Justice and comes in the wake of incidence of dumping in developing countries. The course will expose students to the existing framework for dispute resolution at the international, national and local levels in accordance with
- Article 33 of the UN Charter,
- Article 38 of the Statute of the International Court of Justice(ICJ),
In addition, the importance of non compliance procedures in selected treaties such as Kyoto Protocol and the Montreal Protocol shall be discussed.
Key Topics
- General Principles of Environmental Justice
- Environmental Dispute Resolution
- Environmental Ethics, Dumping and NIMBY
- General Principles of conservation of biological diversity
- Environmental Governance
- Civil liability regimes (in relation to areas such as nuclear damage, oil and Trans boundary pollution, Waste and transportation etc. The Lugano Convention will be examined in detailed)
- Human Rights and the Environment
- Models of social activism and the Environment
- The paradox of environmentalism
Objectives:
At the end of the course students would
- Have the conceptual and analytical skills to determine conditions of environmental injustice and the facilitating conditions of illegal, unreported and unregulated social practices harmful to the environment.
- Be exposed to war and the Environment by exposing then to the 1977 additional protocol to the 1949 Geneva Conventions.
- Appreciate the processes involved in environmental justice and the significant role of the United Nations and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
- Appreciate the link between human rights and the environment.
