SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF THE NATURAL RESOURCES
University of Petrosani
Faculty: Faculty of Mining
Program Level: Undergraduate
Specialization(s): Environmental engineering and protection in industry
Year of study: 2nd
Semester: IV
Number of ETCS credits awarded: 3
Class Objectives:
 Knowledge on the natural resources and their management while applying the sustainable
development principles of the society;
 The natural resource concept and their classification;
 Historic stages in the capitalization of natural resources;
 The importance and necessity of the sustainable development of natural resources;
 The relation between the economic development of the society and the exploitation method of
the mineral resources;
 The importance of the human activities in the protection and preservation of the mineral
resources.
Lectures content:
Content
The resource concept. Natural resource exploitation terms.
Historical stages in resource capitalization. The natural
resource management concept in sustainable development.
The relation between human and natural resources. Global
distribution of natural resources. The impact of demographic
growth on natural resources. The capitalization of natural
resources in relation with the environment and the level of
economic development of the society. The relation between
the economic development and the natural resources’
exploitation method.
The sustainable management of the energetic resources.
Classic energetic resources (coal, oil and gas – formation
and exploitation geologic conditions, production evolution
and predictions). Alternative nonrenewable energetic
resources (nuclear fuel, peat, asphalt sand, shale gas).
Alternative renewable energetic resources (solar energy,
wind power, geothermal energy, hydroenergy, tide energy,
wave and marine currents energy, bioenergy). Energetic
capitalization of industrial and household waste. Energetic
efficiency increase.
The sustainable management of mineral resources (other
than energetic). Iron metallurgy resources. The distribution
of the iron ore and alloy metal reserves. Current exploitation
demand and rhythm and future predictions. Non-ferrous
mineral ore (non-ferrous metals, chemical industry
resources, building materials industry resources, radioactive
resources. Secondary resources (the recovery, reuse and
recycling of metals and non-metals from industrial and
household wastes).
The sustainable management of hydrosphere resources.
Water – basic natural resource. Hydrosphere regarded as
raw materials source. The water role in life and economy.
Global distribution of water resources. Rational exploitation
Number of lectures
1
2
4
2
2
of water resources. Water management in extreme
hydrologic conditions. Water resources protection.
The sustainable management of biopedospheric resources.
Soil – hardly renewable natural resource. Soil preservation,
reclamation and protection. Forrest resources and their
economic role. The distribution of forest resources. The
rational exploitation of the forest, the improvement of the
forest resources condition and reforestation. Meadows and
their economic signification. Biologic aquatic resources.
Biodiversity and hunting domain preservation. Nonquantifiable natural resources (the importance of natural
domain, landscape and air protection and preservation)
The legislation on the sustainable management of natural
resources (international conventions and agreements,
european directives and romanian legislation). Legislation
implementation stage. Strategic development and planning
objectives.
2
1
Practical class content:
Content
The classification of natural resources. The importance and
implementation stage of the sustainable development
principles in the exploitation, capitalization, protection and
preservation of the natural resources in Romania.
The distribution, exploitation and capitalization of the
natural resources in romania. The role of secondary
resources’ capitalization in the protection and preservation
of natural resources.
Sustainable management possibilities for classic energetic
resources (exploitation principles, energy production
efficiency increase, reduction of the industrial and
household energy consumption). The possibility of using the
renewable energetic resources in Romania.
The reduction of the exploited natural mineral resource
quantity to meet the market demand through increasing their
recovery / recycling degree from industrial and household
wastes. Implications in the reduction of energy
consumption.
Visiting a multiple function hydrotechnic facility (energy
production, water supply, flood protection, irigations etc.)
Sustainable management techniques of the areas for
revegetation harvests. The reforestation of cleared areas and
the recultivation of degraded areas. Rational use of
meadows. The preservation of secular forests and protected
areas (national and natural parks, Nature 2000 sites,
biosphere and scientific reservations etc.) The preservation
of biodiversity, hunting domain and natural landscapes.
Paper portfolio presentation
Grading Policy:
The students pass the class if he obtains mark 5 (out of 10).
Final mark shares:
- lectures – 60%;
- practical class – 40%.
Minimum required knowledge for obtaining mark 5:
- knowing the resource sustainable management concept;
- knowing the natural resource classification;
Number of classes
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
-
knowing the possibilities for reducing the exploited quantity of natural mineral resources
(energetic and non-energetic);
knowing the importance of rational and complex exploitation of water resources and their
protection;
knowing the importance of rational exploitation of the biopedologic resources and the
importance of the rehabilitation of degraded areas;
knowing the legislation.
Classroom Rules of Conduct:
 Turn off (or place on vibrate) cell phones and pagers during class;
 During exams, the use of cell phones, pagers, PDAs, or any other electronic devices is strictly
prohibited.
Lecturer: Emilia DUNCA
e-mail: emydunca@gmail.com