Course

Unit 1

Multidisciplinary nature of environmental studies, Renewable and non-renewable Natural resources, Overexploitation and conservation of the following natural resources: forest, water, food, energy, mineral and land resources, Concept of sustainability, sustainable development, Concept of three R’s (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle), Concept of zero waste, Need for environmental education.

Unit 2

Concept of ecosystem. Components, structure and function of an eco-system, A brief description of forest ecosystem and desert ecosystem, Food chain and food web, Ecological Pyramids, Bio geochemical Cycles (examples-Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorous), Ecosystem Services (example forest),Threats to ecosystems, Conservation of ecosystems.

Unit 3

Concept of Biodiversity, hot spots of biodiversity, India as a mega diversity nation, Threats to biodiversity, Value of biodiversity, Brief description of economic valuation of biodiversity, Red Data Base and Red data Book, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Red List of Threatened Species (Brief description), Conservation of biodiversity.

Unit 4

Pollution of air, acid rain, global warming and climate change, ozone layer depletion, Water pollution, Soil pollution. Industrial and urban solid wastes, Hospital wastes, Hazardous waste, Collection, segregation of solid wastes, Different household disposal methods for degradable solid wastes, Commercial water purification devices for households, Plastic pollution, micro plastics and its environmental and health effects, E-waste.

Unit 5

Ecological foot prints, brief description of Carbon Footprint and Water Footprint, Linear and Circular resource management, System thinking, Industrial ecosystems, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Environment Management Plan (EMP), Green Technology, Green Business, Green Accounting, Green Buildings, Eco-Labeling, Sustainable (Green) Cities, Role of individuals in the up keeping of environment.

Course Objective:

To provide a general understanding of our environment, problems during exploitation of natural resources, the importance of biodiversity and the need for its conservation, pollution and its impacts, and approaches for environment sustainability.

Course Outcomes:

The student will be able to:

CO1: Understand the over-exploitation of our natural resources and the need for Sustainable development.

CO2: Understand the concept of ecosystem, its structure and function and threats to Ecosystems.

CO3: Understand the concept of bio-diversity, its importance and conservation.

CO4: Classify pollution and its impacts

CO5: Inferring different approaches for attaining environmental sustainability.

Textbooks:

1. Palanisamy P. N., Manikandan P., Geetha A., Manjula Ran – Environmental Science – Pearson
2. Harikumar P.N., Susha D. And Manoj Narayanan K. S. – Environment management and human rights – Himalaya Publishing House.
3. Asthana K and Meera Asthana – A Textbook of Environmental Studies – S. Chand & Company

References:

1. Bala Krishnamoorthy – Environmental Management: Text and Cases – PHI
2. Jacob Thomas – Environmental management: Text and Cases –
3. Rajagopalan – Environmental Studies: From crisis to Cure – Oxford University Press