95722 - GEOGRAFIA DELL'AMBIENTE E DELLO SVILUPPO SOSTENIBILE

Academic Year 2021/2022

  • Docente: Silvia Grandi
  • Credits: 6
  • SSD: M-GGR/02
  • Language: Italian
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in International Development and Cooperation (cod. 8890)

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

The objective of the course is to investigate, starting from the geographical perspective, the fundamentals of the humankind-nature relationship as a substantial basis for understanding sustainable development and climate crises as foundational elements in practices and policies for the design, planning and definition of development strategies and international cooperation.
In particular, the lectures will address the following topics:

FIRST PART (First partial program).
- Introduction to geography and contemporary geographies. The evolution of geographical thought and of the humankind-nature relationship.
- The concepts of: space, place, territory, landscape, environment, local-global scale.
- The landscape and its readings from the deterministic to the semiotic approach. The visual analysis.
- The theory of systems.
- Biosphere, Ecosystem, Habitat and Ecological Niche. Ecosystem Services, Natural Capital.
- Renewable and non-renewable natural resources. Waste and the circular economy
- Energy resources, critical raw materials and models. The extractivism and resource curse.
- The Anthropocene. Socio-economic systems and territorial systems. The metabolisms of industrial and tertiarised societies. Analysis of the actors of territorial systems.
- The phenomena of environmental degradation (pollution, deforestation, soil degradation, desertification, loss of biodiversity, atmospheric ozone depletion, alteration of the main biogeochemical cycles: water, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus). 
- Representing the environment: indicators and indices, PSR and DPSIR models, environmental accounting systems.

SECOND PART
- The evolution of the environment-development relationship. Conceptions of development
- The relationship Concepts of Development, the evolution of the paradigm of sustainable development.
- Designing for sustainable development: case studies. The 2030 Agenda and the Development Goals.
- The instruments of environmental policies at macro and micro scale. The contribution of geography as a support to analysis, planning, programming and evaluation of policies, programs and projects of international cooperation.
- Analysis of the contemporary challenges of Planet Earth: Climate change and its impacts in the geographies of the world. Global policies in motion.
- Development and its critiques. Crises. Conflicts and Just Transition. Alternative development and post-development.

Readings/Bibliography

Bagliani M., Dansero E. (2011) Politiche per l'ambiente. Dalla Natura al Territorio. UTET

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

Grandi S., 2018, Viaggio tra le concezioni dello Sviluppo, Editrice La mandragola, Imola (capp. 1, 2, 5, 6)

 

+ slide and handsout in Virtuale

during lectures the most important chapter will be indicated

Teaching methods

Lessons via Teams and in the classroom, seminars, videos, videotutorials and workshops.

Assessment methods

Examination split into parts

first part as written test
second part as group work: presentation + report

alternatively

Oral overall examination

Teaching tools

Slides in Virtuale

Videotutoriala

Selfevaluation test

Filmography

Link to facebook page

Workshop

Office hours

See the website of Silvia Grandi

SDGs

Climate Action Oceans Life on land Partnerships for the goals

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.