UNU/IC - Spring 1999
1 February - 12 March 1999
Tokyo, Japan

Environment and Sustainable Development

I. Content and Objectives of the Course

This course will cover several background and policy issues on environment and sustainable development. These would include the driving forces of environmental change, global environmental issues, and environmental governance and the role of the UN system. Attention is also given to environmental monitoring tools, environmental economics and natural resources accounting. The main focus of the course is the analysis of global environmental issues, policies, and governance at regional and global levels.

II. Lecturers:

From the UNU

Prof. Motoyuki Suzuki, Vice-Rector
Dr. Juha I. Uitto, Senior Academic Programme Officer
Dr. Zafar Adeel, Academic Programme Officer
Dr. German T. Velasquez, Programme Coordinator, GEIC
Prof. Iwao Kobori, Programme Advisor Dr. Brendan Barrett, Research Associate, UNU/IAS

Network Lecturers

Dr. Michael H. Glantz, Senior Scientist, Societal Impacts Group, National Center for Atmospheric Research, USA

Prof. Michael Stocking, School of Development Studies, University of East Anglia, UK

III. Course Outline:

Week 1:

Course Introduction (Prof. Suzuki / Dr. Uitto / Dr. Adeel / Dr. Velasquez / Dr. Barrett)

• Course overview
  
• Course objectives and structure
  
• Expectations from participants (Introduction to thesis
• Course evaluation procedure

Fundamentals of Environmental Science (Dr. Adeel)

• Environmental Chemistry
  
• Environmental Microbiology
  
• Principles of Environmental Modeling
  
• Risk Analysis and Environmental Impact Assessment

Driving Forces behind Global Environmental Issues (Dr. Uitto)

• Industrial growth and energy use
  
• Natural resources use
  
• Population growth and consumption
• Urbanization impacts
  
• Key issues: Biodiversity, Desertification, and Climate Change

(Assignment of paper topics to course participants)

Week 2:

Biodiversity (Prof. Stocking)

• Importance of biodiversity to environment and ecology
  
• Identification of key issues in biodiversity
  
• Case Studies:

- Losses in biodiversity
- Resource management
- Sustainability

Ecological and Genetic Biodiversity (Prof. Stocking)

• Threats to biodiversity>
  
• Issues related to conservation of species and ecological dynamics
  
• Valuing biodiversity
  
• Interactions between human society and nature
  
• Case studies (e.g., rain forests)

Agricultural Biological Diversity (Prof. Stocking)

• Importance of agricultural biodiversity in food supply
  
• Assistance programmes for maintaining agricultural biodiversity
  
• Regional, National and International Action

Week 3:

Desertification and Land Degradation (Prof. Kobori / Dr. Adeel)

• Myths and facts about desertification


• Global geographical distribution of arid regions and deserts


• Role of international organizations


• Temporal trends in land degradation


• Causes of Desertification: Urbanization, land use problems, water resource management

Combating Desertification (Dr. Adeel)

• Evaluation of desertification
  
• Conventional technologies for countering desertification
  
• New technologies and approaches
  
• Utilization of remote sensing

Coastal and Marine Pollution (Dr. Uitto)

• Oceanic and coastal environments
  
• Anthropogenic impacts on marine ecosystems
  
• Conservation of marine biodiversity
  
• Case studies of impacted regional seas
  
• Coastal hazards

Week 4:

Climate Change Issues (Dr. Glantz)

• Recent trends in climate change
  
• Evaluation of historical climatic data
  
• Anthropogenic impacts on climate
  
• Modeling environmental changes

Creeping Environmental Problems (Dr. Glantz)

• Global warming and greenhouse gases


• Global climate governance


• Forecasting by analogy


• Drought follows plough

El Niño/La Niña and Its Impacts (Dr. Glantz)
Identification of El Niño/La Niña

• Interrelationship with climate changes
  
• Impact on countries/regions
  
• Monitoring and predicting El Niño/La Niña effects

Week 5:

Sustainable Industrial Development (Prof. Suzuki)

• Concept of "Zero Emissions"
  
• Material cycles and waste management
  
• Life cycle management
  
• Integrated biomass systems

Environmental Monitoring (Dr. Adeel)

• Global and regional monitoring needs
  
• Existing monitoring networks
  
• Global Environment Outlook (GEO)
  
• Remote sensing and satellite imagery
  
• Evaluation of trans-boundary migration of pollutants

Environmental Impact Assessment (Dr. Barrett)

• Concepts of natural resources economics
  
• Principles of project-level EIAs
  
• Regional-level Strategic EIAs
  
• Life cycle analysis

Week 6:

Environmental Analysis Tools (Dr. Velasquez)

• Information technology tools
  
• Environmental predictive models
  
• Geographical information systems (GIS)
  
• Satellite imagery and global positioning systems (GPS)

International Environmental Governance (Dr. Uitto)

• Concepts in global environmental governance


• Historic of environmental treaties and the UN system


• Conflicts with other regimes


• Inherent problems with international compliance

Review Session (Prof. Suzuki / Dr. Uitto / Dr. Adeel)

• Overview of global environmental issues


• Tools for predicting and avoiding global problems


• Environmental issues for the next millenium


• Course evaluation and discussion of participant papers

IV. Textbooks and Reading Materials

Fundamentals of Environmental Science

Required Reading:

Naugle, D.F., and T.K. Pierson (1991). A framework for risk characterization of environmental pollutants, Journal of Air Waste Management Association, Vol. 41 No. 10, pp. 1298-1307.

Sawyer, C.N., P. McCarty, and G.F. Parkin (1994). Chemistry For Environmental Engineering, Fourth Edition: pp. 264-277 (Chapter 5).

Schwarzenbach, R.P., P.M. Gschwend, and D.M. Imboden (1993). Environmental Organic Chemistry: pp. 485-492 (Chapter 14).

Recommended Further Reading:

RIVM/UNEP - Bakkes, J. and J. van Woerden (Eds.) (1997). The Future of the Global Environment: A model-based Analysis Supporting UNEP’s First Global Environment Outlook, RIVM 402001007 and UNEP/DEIA?TR.97-1.

Sawyer, C.N., P. McCarty, and G.F. Parkin (1994). Chemistry For Environmental Engineering, Fourth Edition, McGraw-Hill Companies (ISBN:0-07-054978-8),608 p.

Schwarzenbach, R.P., P.M. Gschwend, and D.M. Imboden (1993). Environmental Organic Chemistry, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York (ISBN: 0-471-83941-8), 681 p.

Seinfeld, J.H. (1986). Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics of Air Pollution, John Wiley and Sons, New York: pp. 738.

US Environmental Protection Agency (1990). Risk Assessment, Management and Communication of Drinking Water Contamination, Office of Water, US EPA, Washington, DC.

Driving Forces Behind Global Environmental Issues

Required Reading:

Burger, J. and M. Gochfeld (1998). ‘The tragedy of the commons: 30 years later.’ Environment, Vol. 40, No. 10: pp. 4-13; 26-27.

World Resources Institute (1998). ‘The drivers of change.’ In: World Resources 1998-1999: Environmental Changes and Human Health. World Resources Institute, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Environment Programme and World Bank: Washington, DC, 21 p.

(http://www.wri.org/wr-98-99/)

Recommended Further Reading:

Benneh, G., W.B. Morgan and J.I. Uitto, Eds. (1996). Sustaining the Future: Economic, Social, and Environmental Change in Sub-Saharan Africa. United Nations University Press: Tokyo-New York-Paris.

Bhaskar, V. and A. Glyn, Eds. (1995). The North, The South and the Environment. Earthscan: London.

Brookfield, H. and Y. Byron, Eds. (1993). South-East Asia’s Environmental Future: The Search for Sustainability. United Nations University Press: Tokyo-New York-Paris.

Brown, L.R. (1995). Who Will Feed China? Wake-up Call for a Small Planet. W.W. Norton: New York-London.

Kasperson, J.X., R.E. Kasperson and B.L. Turner II, Eds. (1995). Regions at Risk: Comparisons of Threatened Environments. United Nations University Press: Tokyo-New York-Paris.

World Resources Institute (1998). World Resources 1998-1999: Environmental Changes and Human Health. World Resources Institute, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Environment Programme and World Bank: Washington, DC. (http://www.wri.org/wr-98-99/)

Biodiversity Issues

Required Reading:

Brookfield, H., and C. Padoch (1994). Appreciating agrodiversity: a look at the dynamism and diversity of indigenous farming practices, Environment 36(5): 7-45.

Netting, R.McC. (1996). Agro-diversity on a farming frontier: Kofyar smallholders on the Benue Plains of Central Nigeria. Africa 66(1): 52-70.

Primack, R.B. (1998). Essentials of Conservation Biology, Second Edition: pp. 79-100 (Chapter 4).

Vaughan, D. (1998). Biodiversity and Agricultural Practice: Why Should Agriculturists Care? Paper 82a, Agricultural Research and Extension Network, Overseas Development Institute, London, 5 p.

Recommended Further Reading:

Primack, R.B. (1998). Essentials of Conservation Biology, Second Edition. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland MA (USA).

Stocking, M., S. Perkin, , and K. Brown, (1995). Coexisting with nature in a developing world. In: Morse, S. and Stocking, M. (Eds.) People and Environment. UCL Press, London, pp.155-185.

Thrupp, L.A. (1998). Cultivating Diversity: Agrobiodiversity and Food Security. World Resources Institute, Washington DC (ISBN 1-56973-255-8): 70pp.

World Resources Institute (1998). Biodiversity. http://www.wri.org/biodiv/ (with links to items on the Global Convention on Biodiversity etc.)

Desertification Issues

Required Reading:

Mainguet, M., K. Mersmann, and M. Visser (1996). Man-Induced Desertification. The United Nations University Lectures – 12. United Nations University Press, Tokyo: 24 pp.

McLain, J.L. (1998). New technologies for land rehabilitation – A keynote address, Journal of Arid Land Studies, Vol. 7 S, pp. 219-225.

Squires, V.R. (1998). The world’s drylands and global change in the twenty-first century: Challenges and prospects, Journal of Arid Land Studies, Vol. 7 S, pp. 1-13.

Recommended Further Reading:

Davies, H.R.J., (Ed.), 1985. Natural Resources and Rural Development in Arid Lands: Case Studies from Sudan. NRTS-24/UNUP-504; The United Nations University, Tokyo: 84 pp.

Doumenge, F., and A.S. Issar (1997). Environmental Change and the Mediterranean – The Mediterranean Crises. The United Nations University Lectures – 16. United Nations University Press, Tokyo: 29 pp.

Heathcote, R.L., (Ed.), 1980. Perception of Desertification. NRTS-10/UNUP-190; The United Nations University, Tokyo: 134 pp.

Kasperson, J.X., R.E. Kasperson, and B.L. Turner II, (Eds.) 1995. Regions at Risk: Comparisons of Threatened Environments. UNU Studies on Critical Environmental Regions. United Nations University Press, Tokyo: 588 pp.

Kobori, I., and M.H. Glantz, (Eds.), 1998. Central Eurasian Water Crisis: Caspian, Aral and Dead Seas. Water Resources Management and Policy. United Nations University Press, Tokyo: 203 pp.

Mainguet, M. (1994). Desertification – Natural Background and Human Mismanagement, 2nd Ed. Springer-Verlag (ISBN: 3-540-57746-7): 314 pp.

Squires, V.R., and A.E. Sidahmed (1998). Drylands – Sustainable Use of Rangelands into the Twenty-First Century, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Rome, Italy.

Coastal and Marine Pollution

Required Reading:

Goldberg, E.D. (1993). Coastal Zone Space: Sites for Conflict. UN University Lectures 3. The United Nations University: Tokyo. (12 pp.)

World Resources Institute (1998). ‘Diminishing returns: World fisheries under pressure’ and ‘Coral reefs: Assessing the threat.’ In: World Resources 1998-1999: Environmental Changes and Human Health. World Resources Institute, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Environment Programme and World Bank: Washington, DC. (9 pp.) (http://www.wri.org/wr-98-99/)

Recommended Further Reading:

Davis, N.Y. (1996). ‘The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, Alaska.’ In: James K. Mitchell, ed., The Long Road to Recovery: Community Responses to Industrial Disaster, pp. 231-272. United Nations University Press: Tokyo-New York-Paris.

Doumenge, F. and A.S. Issar (1997). Environmental Change and the Mediterranean. UN University Lectures 16, 17. The United Nations University: Tokyo.

Goldberg, E.D. (1994). Coastal Zone Space: Prelude to Conflict? UNESCO Publishing: Paris.

Gomez, E.D. (1993). ‘Coastal, inshore and marine problems’ [with ‘The South-East Asian Response’ by Aprilani Soegiarto]. In: Harold Brookfield and Yvonne Byron, eds., South-East Asia’s Environmental Future: The Search for Sustainability, pp. 268-277. United Nations University Press: Tokyo-New York-Paris.

Ibe, A.C. (1996). ‘The coastal zone and oceanic problems of Sub-Saharan Africa.’ In: George Benneh, William B. Morgan and Juha I. Uitto, eds., Sustaining the Future: Economic, Social, and Environmental Change in Sub-Saharan Africa, pp. 201-212. United Nations University Press: Tokyo-New York-Paris.

Payoyo, P.B., Ed. (1994). Ocean Governance: Sustainable Development of the Seas. United Nations University Press: Tokyo-New York-Paris.

Climate Change Issues

Required Reading:

Glantz, M.H., Ed. (1994). The Role of Regional Organizations in the Context of Climate Change: pp. 9-30, 57-62.

Glantz, M.H. (1996). Currents of Change: El Niño’s Impact on Climate and Society: pp. 13-22, 23-41, 141-150.

Glantz, M.H., Ed. (1994). Drought Follows the Plow: pp. xi-xvi, 1-4, 9-30, 171-175.

Recommended Further Reading:

Barrett, B., and W.B. Chambers (1998). Primer on Scientific Knowledge and politics in the Evolving Global Climate Regime COP3 and the Kyoto Protocol. UNU/IAS, Tokyo.

Campbell, W.B. Chambers, and J. Velasquez (1998). Global Climate Governance. A Report on the Inter-Linkages between the Kyoto Protocol and other Multilateral Regimes, UNU/GEIC, Tokyo.

Chambers, W.B. (1998). Global Climate Governance. Inter-Linkages between the Kyoto Protocol and other Multilateral Regimes, UNU/IAS, Tokyo.

Glantz, M.H., Ed. (1994). The Role of Regional Organizations in the Context of Climate Change. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.

Glantz, M.H. (1996). Currents of Change: El Niño’s Impact on Climate and Society. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Glantz, M.H., Ed. (1994). Drought Follows the Plow, Cambridge University Press.

Module 1- Climate Change and the UNFCCC: Challenges and Opportunities. CC:TRAIN CD-ROM (Also available on the web at http://www.geic.or.jp/cctrain2/), UNU/GEIC, Tokyo.

Sustainable Industrial Development

Required Reading:

Ayres, U., and U.E. Simons (Eds.) (1994). Industrial Metabolism – Restructuring for Sustainable Development: pp: 3-30.

Kaya, Y., and K. Yokobori (Eds.) (1997). Environment, Energy, and Economy – Strategies for Sustainability: pp. 333-347.

Recommended Further Reading:

Ayres, U., and P.M. Weaver (Eds.) (1998). Eco-restructuring: Implications for Sustainable Development, United University Press, Tokyo, Japan, pp. 417.

Ayres, U., and U.E. Simons (Eds.) (1994). Industrial Metabolism – Restructuring for Sustainable Development, United University Press, Tokyo, Japan, pp. 376.

Kaya, Y., and K. Yokobori (Eds.) (1997). Environment, Energy, and Economy – Strategies for Sustainability, United University Press, Tokyo, Japan, pp. 387.

Mitchell, J.K. (Ed.) (1996). The Long Road to Recovery – Community Responses to Industrial Disaster, The United Nations University Press: pp. 307.

The United Nations University (1993). Report of the International Conference on Eco-Management: Towards Industrial Agenda for Sustainable Development, Organized by UNU and the Japan Eco-Life Center, 9-10 September, 1993: pp. 107.

Environmental Monitoring

Required Reading:

Millich, L., and R.G. Varady (1998). ‘Managing transboundary resources – Lessons from river-basin accords,’ Environment, Vol. 40 No. 8: pp.10-15, 35-41.

Sawyer, C.N., Perry McCarty, and Gene F. Parkin (1994). Chemistry For Environmental Engineering, Fourth Edition, McGraw-Hill Companies (ISBN: 0-07-054978-8): pp. 365-372 (Chapter 9).

Spellerberg, I.F. (1991). Monitoring Ecological Change: pp. 3-25 (Chapter 1).

United Nations Environment Programme – UNEP (1997). Global Environment Outlook – 1, Executive Summary.

Recommended Further Reading:

Schmidt, R.J. and C.W. Osenberg (1996). Detecting Ecological Impacts – Concepts and Applications in Coastal Habitats, Academic Press, San Diego.

Singh, R.B. (1992). Environmental Monitoring - Application of Remote Sensing and GIS. Geocartho International Centre, Hong Kong.

Spellerberg, I.F. (1991). Monitoring Ecological Change, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

United Nations Environment Programme – UNEP (1997). Global Environment Outlook – 1, Global State of the Environment Report.

Environmental Impact Assessment

Required Reading:

Glasson J., R. Therivel and A. Chadwick (1994). Introduction to Impact Assessment, The Natural and Built Environment Series 1: pp. 2-24 (Chapter 1).

Harrop D.O. and J.A. Nixon (1999). Enviromental Assessment in Practice: pp. 149-169 (Chapter 8).

Curran, M. A. (1996). Environmental Life-Cycle Assessment: pp. 1.1-1.9 (Chapter 1).

Recommended Further Reading:

Bisset, R. (1996). EIA: Issues, Trends & Practice. The Environment and Economics Unit, UNEP, Nairobi.

Biswas, A. K. and Qu Geping (1987). Environmental Impact Assessment for Developing Countries. Tycooly, London

Curran, M. A. (1996). Environmental Life-Cycle Assessment, McGraw-Hill, New York.

Glasson J., R. Therivel and A. Chadwick (1994). Introduction to Impact Assessment, The Natural and Built Environment Series 1, University College London Press Limited. London

Harrop D.O. and J.A. Nixon (1999). Enviromental Assessment in Practice, Routledge Environmental Management Series, Routledge, London.

Morris, P and Therivel R. (eds.) (1995). Methods of Environmental Impact Assessment. UCL Press Ltd, London.

Sadler B (1996). Environmental Assessment in a Changing World: Evaluating Practice to Improve Performance, International Study on the Effectiveness of Environmental Assessment, Ministry of Supply Services, Canada.

Therivel R, Wilson E, Thompson S., Heaney D. and Pritchard D. (1992). Strategic Environmental Assessment, Earthscan, London.

OECD (1992) Good Practices for Environmental Impact Assessment of Development Projects. Paris: OECD.

World Bank (1991). Environmental Assessment Sourcebook. Volumes 1-3, World Bank, Washington, D.C.

World Bank (1994 et. seq.). Environmental Assessment Sourcebook Updates, World Bank, Washington, D.C.

World Bank (1995). Environmental Assessment : Challenges and Good Practice. Environment Department Paper No 018, The World Bank, Washington DC.

Environmental Analysis Tools

Required Reading:

(To be provided later)

Recommended Further Reading:

UNU (1998). Proceedings of the International Symposium on "Information Technology Tools for Natural Disaster Risk Management". INCEDE, Tokyo.

UNCRD (1994). Geographic Information Systems: Present and Future. UNCRD, Nagoya.

Batty, Michael, Marble, Duanne and Gar-On Yeh, Anthony (1995). Training Manual on Geographic information Systems in Local/Regional Planning. UNCRD, Nagoya.

UNCRD (1998). Pangaea - Gaming Simulation Exercise for Sustainable Regional Development. UNCRD, Nagoya.

Singh, R.B. (1992). Environmental Monitoring - Application of Remote Sensing and GIS. Geocartho International Centre, Hong Kong.

International Environmental Governance

Required Reading:

Mische, P.M. and M.A. Ribeiro (1998). ‘Ecological Security and the United Nations System.’ In: Chadwick F. Alger, ed., The Future of the United Nations System: Potential for the Twenty-first Century, pp. 315-356. United Nations University Press: Tokyo-New York-Paris.

Uitto, J.I. (1998). ‘Sustainable Development of International Water Resources: Governance and the Role of the United Nations.’ International Public Economy Studies, Vol. 8, pp. 46-58.

Recommended Further Reading:

Brown Weiss, E., Ed. (1992). Environmental Change and International Law: New Challenges and Dimensions. United Nations University Press: Tokyo-New York-Paris.

Dodds, F., Ed. (1997). The Way Forward: Beyond Agenda 21. Earthscan: London.

Hayes, P., and K. Smith, Eds. (1993). The Global Greenhouse Regime: Who Pays? Earthscan: London and United Nations University Press: Tokyo-New York-Paris

Hempel, L.C. (1996). Environmental Governance: The Global Challenge. Island Press: Washington, D.C.-Covelo, CA.

Young, O.R., G.J. Demko and K. Ramakrishna (1991). Global Environmental Change and International Governance. Summary and Recommendations of a Conference held at Dartmouth College: Hanover.

Young, O.R., G.J. Demko and K. Ramakrishna, Eds. (1996). Global Environmental Change and International Governance. University Press of New England: Hanover and London.

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