International Environment and Health
Fall 2012
Instructor: L. Venkatachalam
Contact Information: venkatmids@gmail.com
Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday- during office hours
Office:
Class: Tue 09.00 -12.00
Course Objective:
This course aims at introducing importance concepts and issues of international
environmental health. The classroom discussion will cover the inter-disciplinary
nature of environmental health, interaction between environmental system and human
wellbeing, sources and types of environmental pollution (water pollution, air pollution,
toxic pollution, e-waste, pesticide pollution, solid waste, indoor air pollution, etc),
direct and indirect impacts of environment on human health, measurement of
environmental impact on human health within a benefit-cost framework, science and
international health policies and emerging global environmental health problems. In
order to illustrate the concepts and measurement issues, a significant number of
country case studies will be discussed in the class room. The students will also carry
out case studies on specific environmental issues.
Class Schedule:
Week 01
(09/17~):
Introduction to International Environment and Health
Week 02
(09/24~):
Inter-disciplinary nature of environmental health
Week 03
(10/01~):
Interaction between environmental system and human
wellbeing
Week 04
Sources and types of environmental pollution - water
(10/08~):
pollution, air pollution
Week 05
(10/15):
Sources and types of environmental pollution -toxic
pollution, e-waste, pesticide pollution, solid waste,
indoor air pollution, etc
Week 06
(10/22~):
Benefit-Cost Analysis and Health Impact
Week 07
(10/29~):
First In-Class Exam
Week 08
Measurement of Health Impact: Revealed Preference
(11/05~):
Methods
Week 09
(11/12~):
Economic Valuation of Health Impact: Stated
Preference Methods
Week 10
(11/19~):
11/19-11/23 Midterm exam week
Week 11
(11/26~):
Case Studies on Measuring Health Impacts
Week 12
(12/03~):
Science and International Health Policies
Week 13
(12/10~):
Environmental Governance and Health
Week 14
(12/17~):
Emerging Global Environmental Health Problems
Week 15
(12/24~):
Case Studies on International Environment and Health
Week 16
(12/31~):
1/1 New year’s day, campus closed
Week 17
(01/07~):
Second In-Class Exam
Week 18
1/11-1/17 Final exam week
(01/14~):
1/21 Winter vacation begins
Grading:
We will have bi-monthly homework assignments (25%), two (2) in-class exams (25%,
25% of each), one (1) term paper (25%):
1. Homework Assignments: There will be 5 assignments to make the students
familiar with important topics on international environment and health. The
assignment will have to be submitted before 15th and 30th of every month.
2. The two in-class exams will be conducted in the ninth and seventeenth weeks,
respectively.
3. Term paper: The student is free to choose the topic for the term paper, in
consultation with the instructor. The term paper should not exceed 8000 words
including bibliography, footnotes, graphs and tables. This paper is due by January 15,
2013.
References:
Blumenthal, D. S., and Ruttenber, A. J. (1995). Introduction to Environmental Health.
Second Edition. New York: Springer.
Moeller, D. W. (1997). Environmental Health (Revised ed.). Cambridge: Harvard
University Press.
Nadakavukaren, Anne (2011). Our Global Environment: A Health Perspective, 7th Ed.,
Waveland Press, Prospect Heights, Illinois.
Yassi, A., Kjellstrom, T., de Kok, T., Guidotti, T. L. (2001). Basic Environmental
Health. New York: Oxford University Press.
Note: Additional Reading Materials will be supplied in the class room.