Syllabus

MX0145 Models for sustainable water management, 7.5 Credits

Subjects

Education cycle

Modules

Advanced study in the main field

Grading scale

Language

Prior knowledge

Objectives

The goal of this course is to give students an appreciation of the role of models and monitoring data in setting and evaluating national, European and global environmental policy. The course highlights the need for high quality data, credible modelling approaches and good practice for scientific communication.

On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• Understand the importance of models in the policy setting process

• Describe the relevance of international, European and Swedish policy for setting water quality goals

• Extract water quality data from the SLU national monitoring programmes database and use it to support a model application

• Plan a sampling campaign to collect critical data needed for reducing uncertainty in model applications

• Apply a range of water quality models of varying degrees of complexity to "real world" environmental problems

Content

A number of practical exercises based on real case studies will be used to support and exemplify the theory and cases brought up during lectures and seminars. These include:

• Extracting and evaluating data from the SLU water quality database and other publicly available data sources;

• Streamflow prediction using rainfall runoff models;

• Eutrophication assessment using steady state and dynamic models

• Modelling to support decision making about pollutant reduction targets

The course consists of lectures, exercises and assignments, which will highlight the following topics:

• Water policy - the role of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, European and national policy in setting the water agenda; how models can contribute to agenda setting.

• Water quality modelling - dimensional analysis and developing appropriate mathematical representations of environmental processes.

• Data collection and evaluation - understanding what types of data exist in Sweden and elsewhere, evaluating the (mis)match between data quality, data availability and model complexity.

• Uncertainty - different kinds of uncertainty and how they can be managed.

• Best practices for communicating model results

• Models in the Policy Process - practical examples of how models are used to support global European and national policy.

Grading form

Formats and requirements for examination

Passed results on the exam and all assignments.

• If a student has failed an examination, the examiner has the right to issue supplementary assignments. This applies if it is possible and there are grounds to do so.

• The examiner can provide an adapted assessment to students entitled to study support for students with disabilities following a decision by the university. Examiners may also issue an adapted examination or provide an alternative way for the students to take the exam.

• If this syllabus is withdrawn, SLU may introduce transitional provisions for examining students admitted based on this syllabus and who have not yet passed the course.

• For the assessment of an independent project (degree project), the examiner may also allow a student to add supplemental information after the deadline for submission. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.

Other information

• The right to participate in teaching and/or supervision only applies for the course instance the student was admitted to and registered on.

• If there are special reasons, students are entitled to participate in components with compulsory attendance when the course is given again. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.

Additional information

Responsible department

Department of Aquatic Science and Assessment