Sustainability and Resource
Management
Module Handbook 2017-18
1
Table of Contents
Key Information………………………………………………………………………………3
Welcome to the module.............................................................................................. 3
Intended Learning Outcomes ..................................................................................... 3
Attendance Requirements .......................................................................................... 5
Assessment................................................................................................................ 6
Marking Criteria……………………………………………………………………………7
What is critical writing? ........................................................................................... 8
What is descriptive writing?..................................................................................... 8
Plagiarism .............................................................................................................. 100
Language Guidelines ............................................................................................. 111
Reading List ........................................................................................................... 111
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Sustainability and Resource Management
Key Information
Module Title:
Sustainability and Resource Management
Module Code:
SCI508
Module Leader:
Dr Amiya Chaudhry
Contact Details:
Email: a.chaudhry@glyndwr.ac.uk
Room: C13g
Ext 3421
Welcome to the module
Welcome to ‘Sustainability and Resource Management’ a twenty-credit level 5
module. The module consists of three main topic areas:
1. Investigation into the current management practices of renewable and nonrenewable resources and to explore use of resources in a sustainable
manner.
2. Examine the challenges in making a transition to renewable resource use in a
way that is truly sustainable
3. Assess the contrasting views of environmentalists and economists regarding
future resource management.
Intended Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module, students will be able to:
Knowledge and Understanding:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the issues concerning the use and
management of some key natural resources.
2. Demonstrate how the negative effect of a particular resource use on the
environment might be contained.
3. Evaluate the differing opinions on the future management of resources in light
of challenges such as globalization, population growth, climate change and
technology.
Transferable/Key Skills and other attributes:
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Sustainability and Resource Management
Critical reading
Problem solving
Working in a group
You will find a copy of the module specification online at
https://www.glyndwr.ac.uk/modules/Chemistry/SCI508%20Sustain.%20&%20Resour
ce%20Mangmt.pdf
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Sustainability and Resource Management
Attendance Requirements
You are expected to prepare for and to attend all timetabled sessions. We expect
you to actively participate in seminars and group work and to submit assignments by
the specified submission date. A copy of the Student Charter which details our
commitment to you and your responsibilities is available on request.
Shown below is a guide of the topics covered each week. The weeks shown are
linked to the academic calendar.
Week 27

Week 28


Syllabus outline, learning outcomes, assessment, key
definitions and introductory concepts.
Self-directed study.
Presentations on introductory concepts by students.

Environmental economics
Week 29

Directed study- read the research papers.
Week 30

Feedback on question on Environmental Economics.

Clayoquot Sound case study- directed study

Feedback on question “introduction to the case study”.

Environmental accounting

Feedback on Environmental accounting question. Student
to prepare presentation on Tragedy of commons

Present tragedy of commons

Ownership and control of resources

Feedback on Economics and sustainability section of
coursework.

Ocean resources

Feedback on ocean resources questions

Land resource- agriculture

Feedback on land resource questions

Land resource Forests

Feedback on Forest management questions

Fresh water
Week 31
Week 32
Week 33
Week 34
Week 37
Week 38
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Sustainability and Resource Management
Week 39

Group discussion on research papers
Weeks 40
and 41

Individual Revision / feedback sessions for your
coursework
Week 42

Submission of coursework
Assessment
Sustainability and Resource Management is assessed through a single piece of
coursework equivalent to 3 000 words.
Students will be asked to work in groups or individually depending on class size on a
given case study and suggest the most practical solutions for sustainable resource
management which will allow the area in question to thrive economically, culturally
and yet at the same time preserve its environmental resources. Students will be
required to keep a task log to ensure equal input to each task and formative feedback
will be provided as shown in the study calendar above to each group.
Your report needs to demonstrate your achievement against each of the learning
outcomes listed above.
Sustainability and Resource Management
Coursework
Report 3000 words
Submission date
TBC
Clayoquot Sound was officially named a Biosphere Reserve On 5 th May 2000 by
UNESCO. Based on the case study presented on the fishing, forestry and tourism
industries in this area, write a report suggesting the most practical solutions for
sustainable resource management which will allow the area to thrive economically,
culturally and yet at the same time preserve its environmental resources.
Your discussion should include:
 The benefits and difficulties in adopting these practices.
 How economics, politics and ethics impact environmental resource
management.
 Details on what sort of economic system you would recommend for the area
 Manage the problems associated with environmental accounting.
Credit will be given for report structure and clear writing style.
The marking scheme will be as shown below. Please review the assessment mark
breakdown below to see what we are looking for:
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Sustainability and Resource Management
Module
Sustainability and Resource
Management
Student name
Introduction to case study(15 marks)
Suggested solutions for sustainable resource management(15 marks)
Benefits and difficulties of adopting these suggestions(15 marks)
Economics and sustainability (15 marks)
Economic system recommended (15 marks)
Environmental accounting (15 marks)
Structure and references (10 marks)
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Sustainability and Resource Management
What is critical writing?
The most characteristic features of critical writing are:

a clear and confident refusal to accept the conclusions of other writers without
evaluating the arguments and evidence that they provide;

a balanced presentation of reasons why the conclusions of other writers may
be accepted or may need to be treated with caution;

a clear presentation of your own evidence and argument, leading to your
conclusion; and

a recognition of the limitations in your own evidence, argument, and conclusion.
What is descriptive writing?
The most characteristic features of descriptive writing are that it will describe
something, but will not go beyond an account of what appears to be there. A certain
amount of descriptive writing is needed to establish for example:

the setting of the research;

a general description of a piece of literature, or art;

the list of measurements taken;

the timing of the research;

an account of the biographical details of a key figure in the discipline; or

a brief summary of the history leading up to an event or decision.
The difference between descriptive writing and critical writing
With descriptive writing you are not developing argument; you are merely setting the
background within which an argument can be developed. You are representing the
situation as it stands, without presenting any analysis or discussion.
Descriptive writing is relatively simple. There is also the trap that it can be easy to use
many, many words from your word limit, simply providing description.
In providing only description, you are presenting but not transforming information; you
are reporting ideas but not taking them forward in any way.
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Sustainability and Resource Management
An assignment using only descriptive writing would therefore gain few
marks
.
With critical writing you are participating in the academic debate. This is more
challenging and risky. You need to weigh up the evidence and arguments of others,
and to contribute your own. You will need to:




consider the quality of the evidence and argument you have read;
identify key positive and negative aspects you can comment upon;
assess their relevance and usefulness to the debate that you are engaging in
for your assignment; and
identify how best they can be woven into the argument that you are
developing.
A much higher level of skill is clearly needed for critical writing than for
descriptive writing, and this is reflected in the higher marks it is given.
(University of Leicester, 2009)
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Sustainability and Resource Management
.Plagiarism
If you are found guilty of plagiarism you could automatically fail
the course.
Do not risk this.
Please watch this video by Richard Galletly. (Used with Richard’s kind
permission).To play video you should open this PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader.
The video is also available on YouTube at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEeTSaxCEQg
We treat plagiarism very seriously and students found to have committed plagiarism
can, and have, had a mark of zero recorded for an assignment with no possibility of
re-submission. In the worst cases, students have been expelled from the University.
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Sustainability and Resource Management
Whilst most of you will be well aware of plagiarism and ways to avoid it, it may be
worthwhile reviewing Glyndwr University’s academic regulations relating to it and
advice on avoiding it, available on the Academic Support page.
Language Guidelines
We encourage you to use non-discriminatory language, that is to say, language that
does not discriminate against certain groups of people.
You may like to review the advice on this provided by Sheffield Hallam University
Advice: http://universitywriting.shu.ac.uk/words/advice/s_nondis.htm
Interactive practice: http://universitywriting.shu.ac.uk/words/practice/s_nondis.htm
Reading List
Essential reading:
• Anderson, D.A. (2013) Environmental Economics and Natural Resource
Management 4th Edition. Routledge
• Dinar, S. (2011) Beyond Resource Wars: Scarcity, Environmental Degradation, and
International Cooperation (Global Environmental Accord: Strategies for Sustainability
and Institutional Innovation).MIT Press
• Perman, R., Ma, Y., Common, M., Maddison, D. and Mcgilvray, J. (2011) Natural
Resource and Environmental Economics 4th Edition. AddisonWesley
• Sterner, T. and Coria, J. (2011) Policy Instruments for Environmental and Natural
Resource Management 2nd Edition. RFF Press
Other indicative reading:
• Vogt, K.A., Patel-Weynand, T., Shelton, M., Vogt, D.J., Gordon, J.C., Mukumoto,
C.T., Suntana, A.S. & Roads, P.A. (2010) Sustainability Unpacked: Food, Energy
and Water for Resilient Environments and Societies. Earthscan
• Belyaev, L.S., Marchenko, O.V., Filippov, S.P., Solomin, S.V., Stepanova, T.B. and
Kokorin, A.L. (2013) World Energy and Transition to Sustainable Development.
Springer
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Sustainability and Resource Management
• Harrison, R.M. and Hester, R.C. ( Eds) (2003) Sustainability and Environmental
Impact of Renewable Energy Sources: 19 (Issues in Environmental Science &
Technology). RSC
• Zehner, O. (2012) Green Illusions: The Dirty Secrets of Clean Energy and the
Future of Environmentalism (Our Sustainable Future). University of Nebraska Press
• Borchardt, D. and Ibisch, R. (2013) Integrated Water Resources Management in a
Changing World: Lessons Learnt and Innovative Perspectives. IWA Publishing
• Mays, L.W. (2006)Water Resources Sustainability. McGraw Hill Professional.
Other resources will be made available on Moodle
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Sustainability and Resource Management