2024/25 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue

CIVE5315M Water Resource Management

15 creditsClass Size: 100

Module manager: Professor Mark Trigg
Email: m.trigg@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2024/25

This module is mutually exclusive with

CIVE5316M

Water Resource Management

This module is not approved as an Elective

Module summary

This module presents a wide range of material and hands-on experience related to the core principles of Integrated Water Resources Management. It approaches this from a holistic point of view, showing the many different facets of modern water management. Teaching is by a wide range of experienced interdisciplinary teaching staff from multiple faculties across the university, as well as external water management consultants. You will be able to directly apply this new knowledge during the module to a range of hands-on exercises: analytical reservoir storage management, stakeholder catchment management, water quality modelling, geospatial analysis and interactive social and ecological systems approach workshops.

Objectives

The objective of the module is to develop a well-rounded interdisciplinary knowledge of modern water resource management at a level that can be applied in a real-world context. This will provide you with a range of technical, social and cognitive skills and experience that will be directly applicable in practice and also inspire those interested in research in the topic. As well as gaining a range of knowledge and methods, you will be encouraged to think critically about some of limitations of these approaches and become fully aware of the challenges of water management in an increasingly dynamic global context.

Learning outcomes
On completion of the module students will have the ability to:

1. Apply a comprehensive knowledge of the principles of Integrated Water Resources Management and know how to apply them to complex real world contexts. (AHEP 4 Learning Outcome M1);

2. Develop an appreciation of some of the limitations and challenges facing water resources managers generally and many of the interdisciplinary issues that influence and affect that role, including social inequality, environmental degradation and climate change. (AHEP 4 Learning Outcome M11);

3. Understand the natural science underpinning the water cycle and the ecological context of water management;

4. Explored the importance of good water management as mitigation for extreme hydrological conditions such as drought and flood, and how these will become more extreme and frequent with a changing climate;

5. Gain an appreciation of the role of a legislation and policy context for water managers and how this varies across the globe, with a close look at transboundary rivers and groundwater aquifers. (AHEP 4 Learning Outcome M5);

6. Understand design principles of traditional urban drainage systems, sustainable urban drainage systems, natural flood management and other nature based solutions;

7. Understand reservoir design and management, specifically standard yield assessment methodologies under changing climate and changing demand conditions;

8. Apply a water balance reservoir model to illustrate the importance of water storage as a management tool, including the use of control curves. This will show your ability to apply quantitative techniques as part of the reservoir design and management process. (AHEP 4 Learning Outcomes M3);

9. Be able to calculate the maximum sustainable yield of a reservoir in a natural catchment using a water balance spreadsheet model, allowing for environmentally sustainable downstream flows and other demands on the reservoir storage (e.g. evaporation and infiltration losses). You will also develop an awareness of the limitations of this simplified approach and when to us more sophisticated alternatives. (AHEP 4 Learning Outcome M3);

10. Design solutions for complex water management problems and be able to advise on appropriate drought risk management techniques and strategies to manage low water storage in a reservoir under drought conditions and what the commercial implications might be for the water company. (AHEP 4 Learning Outcomes M5);

11. Be able to quantify the effect of an increase in demand on the long-term behaviour of the reservoir storage and understand the implications for reservoir management;

12. Learned to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team, while having a specific role within the team to solve a common challenge and produce a professional level report. (AHEP 4 Learning Outcome M16 and M17);

13. Apply the wide range of knowledge from the taught module material including the use of integrated system approach to solve complex problems relevant to catchment management when representing a stakeholder in a catchment. This will demonstrate critical awareness of the challenges in water management within a constrained context. (AHEP 4 Learning Outcome M6);

14. Select and critically evaluate technical literature to evaluate water requirements for a range of stakeholders. This will show the ability to identify (or estimate) relevant parameters for your calculations and to apply quantitative techniques to determine user water demand, both daily and seasonally. (AHEP 4 Learning Outcome M4);

15. Understand different water uses and their varied impacts on a river system. This will provide an awareness that engineered river abstractions need to fit within a wider social and sustainable development context. (AHEP 4 Learning Outcome M5 and M7);

16. Be able to articulate the needs of a specific water user in a public forum and critically evaluate the other stakeholders representing a wide range of different users. This will bring awareness of the regulatory role of a government water authority in water abstraction licencing. (AHEP 4 Learning Outcome M5);

17. Assess the collective water use in a catchment against the natural river flows using a flow duration curve and understand the concept of sustainable availability;

18. Understand point source and diffuse water quality issues within a complex catchment with multiple different stakeholders and how these issues relate to water availability;

19. Understand the complex range of stakeholder needs, which may result in a compromise in terms of water resource management and identify mitigation possibilities. This will show an understanding of the risks to your stakeholder (industry, environment etc.) associated with limitations on water availability. (AHEP 4 Learning Outcome M5 and M7);

20. Appreciate and understand the importance of social inclusion and equitable allocation in water resource management. (AHEP 4 Learning Outcome M11);

21. Understand water resource management decision in an ecological and environmental context, functioning as part of a natural water system and how that is crucial to long term sustainability of water management. (AHEP 4 Learning Outcome M7).

This module contributes to the AHEP4 learning outcomes M1, M3, M4, M5, M6, M7, M11, M16, M17.

Skills outcomes
- Ability to work in an interdisciplinary team working with social and cultural sensitivity.
- An awareness of the importance of inclusion and equity in successful water management.
- An ability to allow for climate and other risks and data uncertainty in a management context.
- An ability to apply quantitative and computational methods, using alternative approaches and understanding their limitations using water data.
- An ability to understand and evaluate conflicting needs and apply critical thinking in a complex management context.
- Presentation of technical stakeholder needs in a public forum to other stakeholders.

Academic:

a). The ability to plan time, prioritise tasks and organise academic and personal commitments effectively;

b). An ability to extract and evaluate pertinent data and to apply engineering analysis techniques in the solution of water management problems.

Digital:

c). The ability to find, evaluate, organise and share information across a variety of formats, ensuring the reliability and integrity both of the sources used;

d). The ability to use digital technology and techniques to create digital items, and the willingness to engage with new practices and perspectives to solve problems, make decisions and answer questions.

Enterprise:

e). The ability to search for, evaluate and use appropriate and relevant information sources to help strengthen the quality of academic work and independent research. 

Sustainability Skills:

f). Understands and evaluates multiple outcomes; their own visions for the future; applies the precautionary principle; assesses the consequences of actions; deals with risks and changes; uses scenario planning;

g). Applies different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainable development problems; develops viable, inclusive and equitable solutions; utilises appropriate competencies to solve problems; develops innovative and creative solutions.

Work ready:

h). The ability to prioritise, work efficiently and productively and to manage your time well in order to meet deadlines;

i). The ability to take a logical approach to solving problems; resolving issues by tackling from different angles, using both analytical and numerical skills. The ability to understand, interpret, analyse and manipulate analytical and numerical data;

j). The ability to take a logical approach to solving problems; resolving issues by tackling from different angles, using both analytical and creative skills. The ability to understand, interpret, analyse and manipulate numerical data;

k). The ability to gather information from a range of sources, analyse, and interpret data to aid understanding and anticipate problems. To use reasoning and judgement to identify needs, make decisions, solve problems, and respond with actions.

Syllabus

- Integrated water resources management (IWRM) methods.
- Measuring Water: Hydrology, Hydrometry, getting & using water data.
- Socio-political dimensions of WRM + workshop.
- Urban water management and Sustainable Urban Drainage.
- Handling water data workshop: Flow Duration Curve practical.
- WRM tools: Modelling and Geographical Information Systems.
- Geospatial Analysis (QGIS) practical.
- Water Sources & Infrastructure.
- A global & Trans-border perspective of WRM.
- WRM Regulation & Statutory Frameworks.
- Surface Water Quality.
- Point and distributed pollution sources.
- Water quality modelling practical.
- Dissolved oxygen in watercourses.
- Streeter and Phelps model practical.
- Impact of nutrients in watercourses.
- Nitrogen oxygen demand practical.
- Socio-ecological systems in WRM.
- Abstraction Licensing Strategies.
- Water Company WRM plans.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Consultation	7	1.50	10.50
Group learning	7	1.50	10.50
Lecture	18	1.50	27.00
Private study hours			102.00
Total Contact hours			48.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			150.00

Private study

The students will need to conduct independent reading of the provided material and explore and read relevant materials that they will need to find themselves. This will support their learning and be an integral part of the individual and group projects to evidence their recommendations and statements.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Student progress will be monitored during the module through the project work, practicals, workshop interactions, engagement with lectures through Q&A, and presentations. The project work will be assessed, and feedback will be given both individually and collectively. Peer assessment will form an important part of the group project and counts towards the marks, it includes a reflection on how the group functioned.

Formative feedback will be provided as follows:

Group Report: Students will receive feedback within four weeks after submission. Each submitted catchment stakeholder report will be assessed and comments will be made according to the specific learning outcomes expected for this coursework and details provided in the brief. Peer assessment will be used to allocate the individual marks based on the overall group mark.

Individual project: Students will receive feedback within four weeks after submission. The reservoir modelling project report will use a unique dataset for each student with unique outcomes and therefore management plan. The report will be marked based on details provided in the brief and feedback will be provided specifically to the students own particular case.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Project	Group Report	50.00
Report	Individual Report	50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Re-sit: For the individual project, a resubmission of the full report. For the group project an individual reflection piece (report) based on the group report and feedback provided.

Reading list

There is no reading list for this module

Last updated: 29/04/2024 16:12:17

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