SCI2800 · Human ecology and biodiversity

Overview

The unit aims to introduce you to a range of community based issues and topics under the purview of the sustainable management of natural resources in the Malaysian context. In the process, there will be opportunities to explore the complex relationships between humans, development, and the natural environment, and assess the potential for sustainable, inclusive approaches to conservation and governance that prioritize the needs of local communities and the environment.

Areas of study: Tropical environmental biology

Offerings

Assessment

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

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

Requisites

The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.

Learning outcomes

1. Illustrate an understanding of the role and impact of humans and development on the natural environment by exploring traditional livelihoods, the concept of local knowledge, and how local communities work to preserve the environment and local species for their long-term sustainability;
2. Evaluate the concepts of political ecology, including power relations, social inequalities, and governance dynamics, and their impacts on both the environment and rural, marginalized communities;
3. Explore various solutions, such as the creation and management of a community-conserved area (CCA) as a shared platform for stakeholders to come together, and assess the potential benefits, challenges, and implications of such an approach for biodiversity conservation, livelihoods, and inclusive governance, based on existing case studies and best practices;
4. Apply key theoretical concepts, such as Arnstein's Ladder of Empowerment, to critically analyse the empowerment and participation of local communities in development processes, and assess the different levels of participation and decision-making power that communities have in shaping their own socioeconomic and environmental future.

Workload

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities (100 hours) and independent study (44 hours). Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

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