Universidad de Jaén

Theory:

Disturbance ecology and environmental impacts. Ecosystem dynamics and stability concepts. Human activities and disturbance regimes in ecosystems. Environmental impact: concept, diagnose, causes and typologies.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as an administrative tool for Environmental Management. The role of in Environmental Management policies. EIA legislation at the regional, national and international levels. Administrative procedures for EIA.

Methods to assess Carrying Capacity and to Choice between project alternatives. Project actions: identification of impacts and risk factors. Assessment of best project alternative. Multicriteria decision making methods.

Environmental Inventory and Valuation. Concepts and Models. Variables and Indicators. Weighting techniques, and information integration and representation. The role of spatio-temporal scales. Valuation criteria. Specificities for particular environmental factors.

Cualitative environmental impact assessment. Impact identification: screening and filtering. Checking lists. Matrix models. Cause-effect networks. Magnitude and Importance attributes of Impacts.

Cuantitative environmental impact assessment. Difference models. Integral functions. Multivariate methods. Transformation functions.

Impact mitigation and Impact Monitoring and surveillancePlans. Remedial, restoration and compensation measures. Post-operational  monitoring and surveillance plans.

EIA communication. Administrative and public information and communication. Synthesis report.

Practicals.

Application of Multivariate statistical methods for environmental impact assessment. Calculation of Carrying capacity. Application of multicriteria decision making to select among alternative projects. Inventory and valuation of environmental factors. Exercises for the cualitative and cuantitative valuation of impacts. Field visits: (i) CONAMA congress in Madrid (together with students from the course “Environmental Education”), (ii) Water dump at Siles, a case of EIA within a protected area, impacts mitigation and monitoring and surveillance plan.

Lectures to the whole class (M1) will be used to present theoretical concepts and the basic thematic contents on the EIA subject (specific competences CE-2 y CE-17, as well as CB2-CB5). Lectures will be carried out in an interactive way (crossed questions, debate...), and supported by TIC tools in order to catch the student attention toward the different aspects of the EIA issue (CE-2 y CE-17).

Competences regarding the application of procedures and use of instrumental tools will be developed in field visits as well as in seminars and practical’s sessions (computer classes) (CE2, CE-17, CE-36 y CE-37, as well as CB2-CB5). The following capabilities will be developed to: i) identify and assess key environment factors within a given reference area (CE-36 y CE-37), ii) demonstrate knowledge on the scientific basis of EIA, and know-how regarding common methods and techniques used in EI (CE-2), and (iii) interpret and synthesize data and information gathered from databases and field surveys in order to objectively assess environmental impacts derived from different types of projects, plans and human activities (CE-17). Students will also orally exchange ideas, techniques and obtained results (M17) to develop capabilities related to: (i) the exposition and defense of information and EIA assessments based on objective and scientifically-based arguments (CE-2 y CE-17), (ii) environmental consciousness (CE-2), and (iii) inter-personal relationships (CE-2).

Students with special educational needs should contact the Student Attention Service (“Servicio de Atención y Ayudas al Estudiante”) in order to receive the appropriate academic support.

Students with special educational needs should contact the Student Attention Service (Servicio de Atención y Ayudas al Estudiante) in order to receive the appropriate academic support

Student marks will be based on:

- Regular attendance to lectures, seminars, practical’s sessions and field visits (attendance will be registered (weight = 5 %; degree of achievement regarding competences CE-36 y CE-37 y CB2-CB5).

- Written test to assess the degree of acquisition of theoretical concepts and basic EIA procedures and techniques (weight 60%; competences related to cognitive and basic knowledge issues, focusing on the student capability to integrate, synthesize and interpret information; CE-2, CE-36 y CE-37 y CB2-CB5).

- Students personal tasks and reports in which they apply know-how acquired in seminars, practical’s sessions and field visits, to EIA study cases (weight: 25%; students will carry out personal tasks and reports on a given practical issue or problem, in order to assess their competence in solving problems by the application of the appropriate methodology, data processing and interpretation, and presentation of results and derived conclusions; competence CE-17.

- Student performance (completion and degree of correctness of assigned tasks in practical sessions (weight: 10 %; each student will pass a brief oral test, and will deliver a brief report, by the end of each practical session).