95722 - Geography of the Environment and Sustainable Development

Learning outcomes

Al termine del corso lo studente conosce le principali prospettive della riflessione geografica con particolare riferimento alla relazione uomo-natura e a quella tra società e ambiente. E’ in grado di ragionare e sviluppare analisi a scala locale, regionale e globale nonchè in termini multiscalari. E’ in grado di mettere in relazione elementi di geografia fisica ed ecologia con quelli di geografia dello sviluppo ed è in grado di affrontare analisi in prospettiva sistemica per comprendere e ragionare in termini di sviluppo sostenibile. Ha gli strumenti per leggere in maniera critica le sfide globali del pianeta Terra tra cui: il consumo delle risorse naturali rinnovabili e non rinnovabili; il cambiamento climatico; l’economia circolare e la sicurezza alimentare. Conosce l’evoluzione storica del paradigma dello sviluppo sostenibile e le sue critiche nelle principali trasformazioni concettuali e declinazioni di policy promosse a livello internazionale e locale. Infine, è in grado di applicare le conoscenze e le metodologie acquisite per analizzare il dibattito internazionale e per affrontare progettualità per lo sviluppo e per la cooperazione internazionale in termini di sostenibilità a partire da una prospettiva geografico-ambientale integrata a quella economica e di sviluppo umano

Course contents

1. ntroduction to Geography: the evolution of geographical thought and the history of exploration.
2. Core geographical concepts: space, place, territory, landscape, environment, and the local–global scale.
3. Landscape and its interpretation: from deterministic to semiotic approaches. Visual analysis and semiotic cartography (including a practical session at Palazzo Poggi).
4. The evolution of human–nature relationships: anthropocentrism, ecocentrism, and technocentrism.
5. Fundamentals of Ecology: systems theory and ecosystems; the biosphere, ecosystems, habitats, and ecological niches; ecosystem services; autotrophs, heterotrophs, and decomposers; biogeochemical cycles; biodiversity; natural capital; and ecosystem services.
6. Natural resources: renewable and non-renewable resources; energy resources; their geographical distribution and geopolitical determinants; critical raw materials; extractivism and the resource curse; the geopolitics of energy resources; waste management and the circular economy.
7. The Anthropocene: the metabolism of industrial societies; analysis of the major contemporary challenges facing Planet Earth, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, and their geographical impacts; planetary boundaries and tipping points; the role of the oceans and the cryosphere.
8. The evolution of the environment–development relationship: concepts of development and the evolution of the sustainable development paradigm; the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
9. Development and its critiques: globalization, deglobalization, and reglobalization; crises; conflicts and the Just Transition; alternative development and post-development theories.
   

Readings/Bibliography

Reference materials for the different course topics:


Topics 1, 2, 3 - Course materials available on Virtuale.


Topics 4, 5, 7, 8 -  Course materials available on Virtuale, and for further reading:

- Bagliani M., Dansero E. (2011) Politiche per l'ambiente. Dalla Natura al Territorio. UTET. (The most relevant chapters/sections will be indicated during the lectures.)

- Padoa Schioppa E. (2021), Antropocene, Il Mulino, Bologna (Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4).

- Grandi S., Trincardi F. (2021). La risposta dell'oceano e della criosfera all'impatto dell'uomo sul clima, Documenti Geografici, 1, 187–191. DOI: 10.19246/DOCUGEO2281-7549/202101_13.


Topics 6, 9 - Course materials available on Virtuale, and for further reading:

- Grandi S. (2018), Viaggio tra le concezioni dello Sviluppo, Editrice La Mandragola, Imola (Chapters 1, 2, 5, and 6).

- UN (2015), Resolution adopted by the General Assembly: Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (A/70/1) (available at: https://unric.org/it/agenda-2030/).


Additional reading:


Cartomà C., Conti S., Giaccaria P., Rossi U., Salone C. (2022), Geografia economica e politica, Pearson, Milano–Torino (Chapters 1 and 7).

Teaching methods

The course includes mainly in-person lectures but also Microsoft Teams lectures, videos, video tutorials, workshops, and optional experimental activities.


The course participates in the University of Bologna's 2026/27 Blended Learning pilot programme.


One lecture is conducted on-site at the Palazzo Poggi Museum, where students will learn selected methods of geographical analysis, including semiotic analysis, visual analysis, the interpretation of historical maps, and semiotic cartography.

Assessment methods

For attending students:


A written examination covering the entire course syllabus (6–8 open-ended and/or multiple-choice questions) throughout the first examination session.
Bonus points (up to 3 points) may be awarded for participation in the optional blended experimental activities (see the following section for details).


For non-attending students:


A written examination covering the entire course syllabus (6–8 open-ended and/or multiple-choice questions) throughout the first examination session.


From the second examination session onwards, the assessment will consist of an oral examination for all students.


The bonus points earned through the optional blended experimental activities by attending students remain valid until September 2027.


In specific cases (e.g. international exchange students, Erasmus students, and similar mobility programmes), an alternative assessment format may be arranged by prior agreement with the course instructor.

Teaching tools

Learning Resources


- Lecture slides available on Virtuale
- Video tutorials
- Self-assessment study guides
- Filmography
- Link to the course Facebook page
- Workshops

 

Optional additional practical activities:


- Deconstructing communication: analysing sustainability narratives and identifying greenwashing and social washing practices.
- Simulation game: territorial development and renewable energy.
- Experimental activity: Artificial Intelligence, Geopolitics, and Sustainability.

Office hours

See the website of Silvia Grandi