| CODE | EMP3029 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Geopolitics of Natural Resources | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 6 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Environmental Management and Planning | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit is intended to familiarize students with the geopolitical implications of natural resource use. Basic concepts and theories of geopolitics will first be briefly introduced. The study-unit will then thematically address contemporary geopolitical implications of a range of different natural resources, including energy resources, minerals, water, food, biodiversity, and land, among others. For each theme, the geographical distribution of available resources will be reviewed and discussed, as well as any mismatches between supply and demand, trends and related risks, and the implications for inter-state political relations. The strategic importance of these resources will be discussed, as well as ways in which scarcity and homogeneity of supply may affect political relations. The study-unit will also consider cross-cutting issues potentially affecting resource use and associated geopolitical relations, such as risk and climate change. The study-unit will also bring in guest speakers and will include debate sessions. Study-Unit Aims: - To introduce students to the political dimensions of natural resource management; - To show how natural resource scarcity/misuse can act as a trigger for conflict; - To develop students' awareness of how the distribution and management of natural resources can have important implications for political relations between and within countries; - To explain the complexity of resource management issues and of the challenges involved in developing and implementing legal structures for regulating resource use in contexts where jurisdiction is disputed or shared between multiple states. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Describe the characteristics of strategic natural resources; - Identify factors that affect the distribution of specific natural resources; - Evaluate the implications of natural resource availability for national security and intra-state relations; - Appraise the strengths and weaknesses of existing legal instruments for managing selected common and transboundary resources. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Analyze linkages between the distribution of natural resources and national/ international political dynamics; - Appreciate the multifaceted nature of conflicts over natural resources, and the necessity of adopting a holistic approach in discussing issues of sustainability; - Identify examples of ongoing political disputes relating to the management of natural resources; - Engage in constructive debate. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Dodds, K. (2019). Geopolitics: A very short introduction. Oxford University Press. + additional readings to be provided |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Attendance to scheduled sessions (lectures, field work, seminar, laboratory sessions and any other teaching session in whatever mode) is obligatory and only students having a satisfactory attendance will be assessed in the study-unit. Students, who do not attend at least 85% of the teaching time allocated to the study-unit, will not be allowed to sit for any of the assessment components mentioned below. | ||||||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Seminar | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Elisabeth Conrad |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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