| Unit name | Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development |
|---|---|
| Unit code | CENGM0071 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Liz Holcombe |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
For this unit students will need to understand the concepts of civil engineering systems, engineering risk and at least one type of environmental hazard - geotechnical, hydrological, or meteorological (such as earthquakes, landslides, floods or storms). Students on the MEng Civil Engineering programme will have this pre-requisite knowledge. Students on other programmes who do not have this pre-requisite knowledge are strongly encouraged to enrol in one of the co-requisite units below. |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
Students who do not have the above pre-requisite knowledge are strongly encouraged to enrol in one of the following units as a co-requisite: CENGM0072 Infrastructure Systems Management, or CENGM0078 Probability and Statistics for Seismology and Structural Reliability, or CENGM0074 Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering, or CADEM0008 Water Management in a Changing World. |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Civil, Aerospace and Design Engineering |
| Faculty | Faculty of Engineering |
Why is this unit important?
Engineers have an important role to play in tackling disaster risk and sustainable development challenges. This unit will enable engineering students to understand: (a) the interconnected challenges of natural hazards, disasters, risk, resilience, and sustainable development and (b) related stakeholder perspectives, policies, and practices. Students will learn about natural hazards (such as earthquakes, landslides, floods and storms) and the risks they pose to infrastructure, communities, and societies around the world. They will explore the effects of engineering and development activities on the environment and society and be equipped to develop disaster resilient and sustainable engineering strategies.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
Systems engineering is an interdisciplinary field of engineering and engineering management that focuses on how to design, integrate, and manage complex systems over their life cycles. Systems thinking principles are embedded throughout our Civil Engineering degree programmes including specialised M/level units such as this one. This unit integrates and builds on students’ previous learning about geotechnical and hydrological hazards, engineering risk, and sustainable development. It contextualises and explores the role of engineers in the multi-disciplinary teams needed to tackle disaster risk and sustainable development challenges.
An overview of content
The content is based around three overlapping themes:
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
In this unit students will develop a deeper appreciation of how natural hazards and human actions lead to disaster risk and unsustainable development, and the role of engineers in working in multi-disciplinary teams to address such challenges. Students will learn how to apply some of the technical vocabulary and conceptual frameworks used by disaster risk and sustainable development experts worldwide. Students will further develop their critical thinking skills and engineering reasoning. They will grow in their confidence and ability to identify creative solutions to complex real-world problems.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of the course, the students will be able to:
Each week the teaching will be delivered through a combination of:
Students will be expected to actively participate in the classes and to engage with pre-recorded lectures and videos, readings, self-directed exercises, and problem-solving activities.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Activities during classes, such as reviewing case studies and data, problem-defining and problem-solving, and discussing practical applications with lecturers and experts in the field, will help students to deepen their understanding of the taught content and develop the critical thinking skills required.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Invigilated Examination (100%) - ILOs 1-5
When assessment does not go to plan:
Re-assessment takes the same form as the original summative assessment
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. CENGM0071).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
