The aim of this course is to provide an understanding of issues and methods in water resources management, and is set especially within the framework of total, or integrated, catchment management. The course gives an introduction to the unique hydrology of Australia, major issues of water resource management, the implications of past water management practices, the principles of integrated catchment management and sustainability, and current management tools and strategies.

Topics will include: the components of the hydrological cycle; impacts of land and water management on water quantity and quality; water demand and allocation among users, including the environment; the institutional and policy aspects of WRM; onground strategies of WRM; and integrated modelling of water and land resources. The course emphasises the interdisciplinary of water resource management and examines integrated assessment, which is a method that seeks to solve water management problems by investigating the physical, economic, social and institutional components of a problem.

 

Honours Pathway Option

Subject to the approval of the course convenor; students taking this option will be expected to complete advanced weekly readings and to be prepared to discuss this advanced material in tutorials. In addition, students will be expected to make a tutorial presentation on one week's reading and to lead the subsequent discussion (a minimum of 15% of overall assessment). All other assessment and requirements remain the same.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. understand the complex interplay between people, climate, land, water and economic development in water resource management in Australia
2. explain how the changing balance over time in water availability, demand for water and value of water informs (and has been informed by) the history of development, institutional arrangements, policy and management
3. demonstrate familiarity with a range of water resource management issues, including origins, impacts and management interventions in both rural and urban settings
4. integrate information from a range of disciplines into a comprehensive picture of a water resource management issue
5. appreciate the relationship between raw data and the interpretation(s) that stem from it, and how a lack of knowledge or uncertain knowledge influences resource management decision-making
6. consider and use a range of methods for tackling water resource management problems.

Research-Led Teaching

The research activities of the course convenor, a number of guest lecturers, as well as researchers and practitioners supporting the Water Ethics Moot complement and underpin this course. Students will be working with real case studies in the Water Ethics Moot and will be undertaking primary and secondary research, including data analysis, for the research report assignment .

Field Trips

There will be an afternoon field trip in weeks 4 of the semester during the workshop session. There is no extra cost for this trip for students. Participants need to bring a snack, drinking water, writing utensils, and wear closed shoes and a hat. Volunteer student drivers and first aid providers will be sought.

Additional Course Costs

There are no extra costs for students.

Examination Material or equipment

Students are permitted to take into the examination room two (2) sheets of A4 paper with notes written on both sides (either typed or handwritten). For students for whom English is a second language, a dictionary without annotations is also permitted

Required Resources

No special resources are required.

Recommended Resources

There are no required reference materials for this course. Readings will be posted on Wattle each week, and students are encouraged to search the literature for relevant papers and reference material.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments on assignments;
• Written and verbal comments on group presentations;
• Verbal feedback to the whole class on group activities and on assignments;
• Additional, individual feedback on request.
• Feedback for the Water Ethics Moot will be provided from the course convenor, tutor, external assessors and class peers.

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Lecture A: Introduction: the water resource base and its development Lecture B: Water supply, use and values Workshop: No workshop this week
2	Lecture A: Water ethics Lecture B: Peri-urbanisation Workshop: Water ethics
3	Lecture A: no lecture (Canberra Day) Lecture B: Indigenous Water Workshop: Preparing for the Water Ethics Moot	Water Ethics Moot cases released Water Ethics Moot online group posts commence (20%)
4	Lecture A: River regulation Lecture B: Irrigation Workshop: Field excursion (Cotter catchment)
5	Lecture A: Mining and water Lecture B: ASS Workshop: Conceptual modelling
6	Lecture A: Environmental water Lecture B: Water sharing and the MDB Basic Workshop: Water sharing in the MDB	Research report on indigenous water (2000 words). To be submitted in hardcopy into the FSES ENVS3005 assignment box AND electronically via Turnitin Research report due cob Wednesday 3rd April (30% of marks)
7	Lecture A: Water and gender Lecture B: Integrated water resources management (IWRM) Workshop: Ethics Moot	1st groups’ Water Ethics Moot oral presentation (20%)
8	Lecture A: Catchment Assessment Lecture B: Catchment Assessment Workshop: Ethics Moot	2nd groups’ Water Ethics Moot oral presentation (20%)
9	Lecture A: Hydrologic modelling Lecture B: Contaminated waters Workshop: Ethics Moot	3rd groups’ Water Ethics Moot oral presentation (20%)
10	Lecture A: Global issues: Water management for human health Lecture B: Global issues: Water conflict Workshop: Water management for human health
11	Lecture A: Global issues: stakeholder engagement Lecture B: Global issues: transboundary water Workshop: Water diplomacy
12	Lecture A: No lecture (Reconciliation Day) Lecture B: Global issues: water governance Workshop: Revision

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Indigenous water	30 %	03/04/2019	24/04/2019	1,2,4
Water Ethics Moot	40 %	12/03/2019	10/05/2019	1,2,3,4,5,6
Examination	30 %	06/06/2019	04/07/2019	1,2,3,5

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website. Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Examination(s)

You may take into the exam two (2) A4 pages of notes written on both sides either typed or handwritten. You can also take in an unannotated dictionary.

Please note, that where a date range is used in the Assessment Summary in relation to exams, the due date and return date indicate the approximate timeframe in which the exam will be held and results returned to the student (official end of Semester results released on ISIS). Students should consult the course wattle site and the ANU final examination timetable to confirm the date, time and venue of the exam.

Assessment Task 1

Indigenous water

Indigenous water rights have been a long ignored facet of water management, although it is now increasingly bearing traction.  

What is meant by indigenous water rights? What is the current status of these rights in EITHER (a) Australia (b) New Zealand, OR (c) The United State of America? 

Recommended length: ~ 2000 words

Rubric: Please refer to the course outline on Wattle

Submission in hard copy via the FSES ENVS3005 assignment box and also electronically via Turnitin on Wattle by COB on Wednesday 3rd April.

Assessment Task 2

Water Ethics Moot

The Water Ethics Moot is a multi staged task that is planned to help you to understand the key role that ethics plays in water management, planning and decision making. These stages include (i) initial research, and (ii) debate (the Moot),. By becoming aware of the ethical underpinnings to water management you will start to see its relevance across the various themes of the course and help inform your own thinking into the future. By either tackling a specific case study where ethics plays a key role in water management in some part of the Pacific and Pacific Rim region, or, by listening to class-mates presentations during the Moots, you will have the opportunity to reflect on and analyse the complexity that underpins any water management issue.  

Your task is to research a given case study and, taking a specific stakeholder’s position, debate the topic within a group (the Moot). During the Moot you will need to be part of a small, supportive team and base your arguments on research that you have engaged in over a number of weeks. You will need to identify the key ethical principles at play and how a satisfactory solution to the case study can be formulated by taking these principles into consideration. 

Assessment (i) 

The research forum Students will be allocated a group by a randomized process in Week 3, and the case studies will be released in class and online via Wattle.  The case study will comprise a summary document and some reference materials to get you started. As a group you should collaboratively research the case study by (i) clearly identifying the core issue, (ii) identifying all the key stakeholders, their interests and their potential biases, and then concentrating on the stakeholder group you have been assigned, and (iii) noting the salient ethical principles at play with particular reference to your stakeholder group.  

During this research period, you will be required to post your thoughts and ideas onto a dedicated forumonly viewed by your group and the tutor, Meredith. The number and quality of your individual posts will be assessable because they will reflect your engagement in the learning process, your understanding of the topic, and your ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a team environment. 

Value: 20%

Estimated return date: Feedback ongoing

Rubric: Please refer to the course outline on Wattle

Assessment (i)

The Moot (the group debate)

During the Moot you will be given the question to address ten minutes before the Moot starts. This allows the first team to organize a response, representing their assigned stakeholder group. The second team needs to represent their own stakeholder group and will use the similarities and differences to the first group as the basis for expanding on their own position and possibly refuting the earlier argument. They will also have ten minutes to prepare a response after the conclusion of the first team’s

presentation. Both teams will be expected to answer questions from the floor, and will be assessed by the convenor, the tutor and your class-mates. Attendance at these Moots is compulsory, but due to clashes in the timetable, you can attend 2 out of the 3 Moots workshop sessions. Attendance records are kept. Extra marks will also be assigned to students who ask questions from the floor.  

A possible format (please feel free to devise your own approach):

1. Introduce yourself and your approach to the presentation;
2. Explain which stakeholder group you are assessing and its interests in the case study;
3. Address the question from your stakeholder’s perspective, referring to the relevant key ethical principles;
4. Make sure you end with a strong concluding set of statements.

This is NOT a Powerpoint presentation, but a debate. If slides are used to provide the audience with images relevant to the case study then one team member can show these, without speaking, as the debate occurs.  

Time limit: 10 minutes presentation time

Penalties: 10% group penalty if you are still talking at 10m 30s and you will be told your time is up and asked to sit down.

Value: 20%

Estimated return date: Feedback provided within one week of presentation

Rubric: Please refer to the course outline on Wattle

Assessment Task 3

Examination

There is a formal examination for this course. The exam paper will comprise three (3) parts that reflect the three themes of the course (contexts of water use, contemporary issues of water management and moving into the future: the ‘how to’ of water management). Only three (3) questions need to be answered, one from each section of the paper. The exam will be two hours long so the answers are expected to be ~ 2-3 pages long, and can be illustrated with diagrams.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

Assignments are submitted using Turnitin in the course Wattle site. You will be required to attach an assignment cover sheet and electronically sign that declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records.

Hardcopy Submission

Hard copy submission is also required by placing the assignment with a signed assignment cover sheet attached, into the ENVS3005 assignment box in the Forestry Building (48) of the Fenner School.

Late Submission

No submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date will be permitted. If an assessment task is not submitted by the due date, a mark of 0 will be awarded.

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure.

The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request it in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Feedback on assignments is provided on the hard copy submissions, and results are posted up on the Wattle grade sheet.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Re-submission of assignments is not permitted.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students