ENE6042 · Environmental impact and risk assessment

Overview

This unit aims to develop an understanding of the role and basis for environmental impact assessment (EIA), environmental risk assessment (ERA) and environmental management systems (EMS). The unit focuses on the processes involved in producing a comprehensive approach to identifying, assessing and planning management processes, with a particular emphasis on synthesising technical, regulatory and community issues. The unit encourages you to integrate your existing knowledge in environmental engineering and apply it to real projects. Through lectures, practice classes, individual assignments and group project work, you should develop skills and knowledge in preparing major EIA, ERA and EMS reports, your presentation and communication as well as your engineering context.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Continuous assessment: 50% Final assessment: 50% Final grades: PGO (pass grade only) or NGO (fail) This unit contains threshold hurdle requirements that you must achieve to be able to pass the unit. You are required to achieve at least 45% in the total continuous assessment component and at least 45% in the final assessment component. The consequence of not achieving a hurdle requirement is a fail grade (NGO).

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

Learning outcomes

1. Describe the concepts of EIA, ERA and EMS.
2. Determine the role of these assessments and management systems in society, especially the relevant environmental legislation, policies, codes of practice and local/international standards.
3. Comprehend the government, industry and community perspectives on engineering projects.
4. Apply key concepts of life cycle analysis, environmental auditing, waste prevention, cleaner production, community consultation and economic analysis in engineering projects.
5. Critically reflect on novel and innovative approaches to synergise different management system with proper assessment approaches.

Workload

The minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of 3-6 hours of scheduled learning activities and 6-9 hours of independent study per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher-directed learning, peer-directed learning and online engagement. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.