BSc minor International Land and Water Management (WUILW)

Continue to an overview of the courses in this minor

A large part of the world's arable land is used for rain-fed agriculture and the other part is under irrigated cultivation for which more than 70% of the world's fresh water is used.
You get to understand crop water requirements, how to quantify them and translate these into water demands over a growing season, taking into account the available rainfall and various possible types of irrigation water provision.

Land, both rain-fed and irrigated, is prone to degradation. Loss of soil and soil fertility through erosion or unsustainable farming practices threatens food production and farm income. Food security obviously is not only a matter of production, it is also a matter of distribution and access and therefore determined by (geo-)politics including processing, trade regulations and pricing policies.

In this BSc minor you can choose additionally to apply elementary geo information science or to look into the adaptation to climate change in developing countries.

Learning Outcomes

After successful completion of this minor students are expected to be able to:

• calculate crop water requirements, irrigation demands and the relation between irrigation technology and its social and institutional context;
• understand, recognize and quantify various forms of land degradation processes and master the principles of soil and water conservation;
• to analyse situations of food insecurity in different contexts;
• to understand the relationship between land and water management and food production, sustainability and global food security;
• to apply elementary Geo Information Science skills or to analyse the prospects of adaptation to climate change.

Excursion Information

During period 1 an excursion abroad is part of the two courses. However, unfortunately it is not possible for minor students to join this excursion, due to a limited number of places and financial constraints. Because these courses are compulsory for the regular BIL (BSc – ILW) students, they have priority to participate in this excursion. For both courses there are alternative assignments available, so it is possible to pass this course without taking part in the excursion.

This minor is interesting for WU-students of the BSc programmes:

• BBW Soil, Water, Atmosphere
• BIN International Development Studies
• BBN Forest and Nature Conservation
• BGM Health and Society
• BLP Landscape Architecture and Planning
• BMW Environmental Sciences
• BPW Plant Sciences

Overlapping courses or content with

BIL International Land and Water Management

Language

English

Semester

First semester (period 1, 2 and 3)

Please note: no specific course is planned in the morning of the second period (2MO); this is free choice.

Programme or thematic

Programme minor