Study program:

Academic level and semester:

Master, 2^nd/3^rd semester

ECTS credits/workload per semester:

5 / 125

Contact hours per week/contact hours per semester:

4 / 45

Type/Teaching method:

Frequency:

Lecturer:

Prof. Dr. – Ing. D. Almeida-Streitwieser, Prof. Dr. Pablo Dávila

Content:

The course explores major global environmental challenges, their origins, and consequences. It discusses possible strategies and solutions for short-, medium-, and long-term improvement. Students will examine key international environmental organizations, agreements, and the difficulties of global negotiations and implementation. By the end of the course, students will be able to identify and assess global environmental risks and understand their implications and potential solutions in an international context.

Course Topics:

• International environmental governance:

  • Overview of major international organizations, national commitments, and agreements

  • Role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs)

  • Sustainability frameworks: UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the European Green Deal, and other global initiatives

• Global environmental challenges (topics selected according to student interest):

  • Population: demographic growth, public health issues, and fast fashion

  • Food production: land use efficiency, industrial agriculture, GMOs, and food waste

  • Water resources: water footprint, scarcity, acid rain, ocean acidification, melting polar ice, and sea-level rise

  • Deforestation, desertification, and biodiversity loss: biomass reduction, soil degradation, overfishing, and species decline

  • Pollution: sources, impacts, and mitigation of air, water, soil, and ocean pollution

  • Waste management: disposal, recycling, and the problem of plastics and microplastics

  • Energy: renewable versus fossil energy sources, demand, and transitions

  • Resource depletion: wood, minerals, and nutrient cycles (C, N, P)

  • Climate change: greenhouse gas emissions, ozone depletion, and projected global impacts

  • Blue/Green infrastructure and products: nature-based solutions for sustainability

Textbooks:

Restrictions:

Assessment: