Semester I

Project Planning and Management and management skills are essential for planners and other environmental practitioners.

This course will develop conceptual knowledge and behavioral skills of students to assume responsibilities through efficient and effective management of contemporary projects.

the module will combine knowledge, tools and techniques common to managing successful real environmental Projects

1. Brief description of aims and content

The objective of this module is to provide students with basic skills in analyzing problems related to community development and integrated watershed management issues. The content of this module is oriented to the analysis of watershed issues related mainly to erosion problems and agricultural management.

2. Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed the module, students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of characteristics of watersheds in Rwanda
2. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of watershed functioning and management
3. Have solid knowledge in watershed conservation and tools and techniques (GIS and other appropriate software) applied land use management within watershed.

Cognitive/Intellectual skills/Application of Knowledge

Having successfully completed the module, students should be able to:

1. Collect spatial and non-spatial data from different sources and identify approaches and methods to analyze issues related to water flow and soil erosion within watersheds
2. Use GIS and Remote Sensing software in solving watershed  management issues
3. Use the above mentioned tools in a professional real-life.

Communication/ICT/Numeracy/Analytic Techniques/Practical Skills

Having successfully completed the module, students should be able to:

1. Produce results result explaining clearly the situation of water flow, soil erosion agricultural water management and their relationships within a defined watershed using different methods of watershed analysis including GIS and Remote Sensing techniques

General transferable skills

Having successfully completed the module, students should be able to:

1. Explain basic theoretical and technical methods for the assessment and analyzing of relationships between water management, agricultural management and soil erosion within a watershed.
2. Work autonomously under guidance of qualified practitioners in watershed management

3. Indicative Content

Theory

The following topics are introduced:

• Delineation, identification and characterization of watersheds (Hydrology)
• Watershed functioning (geomorphology, topography, land use, soil conservation, pollution, water uses)
• Soil and water management in tropical watershed
• Institutions for watershed and river basin governance

Practical

• Derive flow and delineation of watersheds within Nil drainage basin using the Digital Elevation Model (DEM)
• Map watershed of local rivers (Akagera);
• Analyze digital images of some rivers (Nyabarongo, Akagera, Nile, Congo, Amazon, etc…);
• Basic soil erosion modeling (RUSLE)
• Watershed Fieldwork 
• Seminars

4. Learning and Teaching Strategy

• Lectures providing theories and concepts of watershed management with the main focus on water, agricultural and soil erosion management within a watershed
• Set reading and self study to enable students to understand issues related to watershed management and watershed analysis
• Practical exercises of watershed analysis using different methods including GIS and Remote sensing techniques
• Assignments to encourage leaning by doing, sharing of experience and development of communication skills in presentation of assignment results
• Observation of the reality to the field by field observation through class excursion

Aim of the module

This module provides geospatial techniques and skills  applied to assessment of environmental management issues and environmental effects. This is achieved through the introduction of analytical methods and spatial modelling of environmental effects/factors.

Learning outcomes

Having successfully completed the module, students should be able to:

• Understand and explain the use of GIS for environmental management and monitoring 
• Define the kind of spatial data needed for research/applications related to environmental management
• Understand the steps for the development of (spatial) database and information system for environmental management
• Develop spatial models related to environmental management

Brief Description of the Module

The module aims to provide broad, integrated knowledge on key environmental issues, the climate change and sustainable development field. The module covers topics such as environmental principles, environmental challenges and management, the climate system, sustainable development, anthropogenic forcing and climate system response; climate variability and change; international climate change legal frameworks; Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation – providing in-depth coverage of adaption and mitigation from both theoretical and applied points of view.

Learning Outcomes

•  Have a reasonable understanding of the definitions of environmental components of earth system, environmental challenges and framework for environmental problems solving
• Have a reasonable understanding of climate change issues: causes, consequences and variations
• Be able to understand sustainable development concept: has it evolved; the  SDGs 
• Describe the phenomenon of CC and its connected concepts, causes and effects and the core elements of the Paris Agreement on CC.
• Describe interlinkages between the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement.
• Identify different solution pathways that can be taken to achieve sustainable development and tackle climate change.
• Investigate at what extent CC is mainstreamed into existing policies and development strategies at national level.
• Discuss existing initiatives/projects that help to achieve SD and minimize CC impacts in Rwanda.

Teaching and Learning Methods

- The main teaching and learning methods are based on lecturer-led introductory  lectures, followed by student contributions, through a face-to-face teaching mode.

- The latter will include active participation in discussions, group work in case study  discussions, and (written and oral) presentation of case study contributions in plenary sessions.  

- Field visit (4 days)

Indicative Readings 

Lecturers: 

- Assoc. Prof. Gaspard Rwanyiziri (Module Leader)

(+2507886814 38  & g.rwanyiziri@ur.ac.rw)

- Assoc. Prof. Theophile Niyonzima 

  (+250788450488 & t.niyonzima@ur.ac.rw)

The module will help students to be familiar with definition of basic terminologies, services, role of infrastructure in economic development, types of infrastructure, measurement of infrastructure capacity, bases for quantification of demand and supply of various types of infrastructure, Goals and objectives of services and infrastructure planning; Identification and quantification of the casual factors influencing the demand for infrastructure

Having successfully completed the module, students should be able to:

• Know urban infrastructure and services needs and standards over the world in general and in developing countries in particular
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding in the development and evaluation of spatial interventions that are effectively addressing priority problems in services and infrastructure planning and management in urban areas.
• Use appropriate techniques to analyze, critique, but also make a diagnosis and plan services and infrastructure using GIS and make evaluation of alternative scenarios.
• Collect field data relating to urban services and infrastructure and organize them in a proper way for information extraction.
• Use computer and software in services and infrastructure planning as well as in writing a report and use visual equipment.
• Write a well edited report and communicate orally the results to specialist and non specialist audiences
• Act autonomously in application of knowledge in services and infrastructure planning and management, showing the ability to do extended and self-programmed work, locating information to answer questions, working with little supervision or direction and by working in groups.

Brief description of aims and content

Nearly 55% of the world’s population live-in urban areas, and 90% of the world’s urban population growth taking place in low- and middle-income countries. Most of this urbanization is unplanned and located in unsafe spaces that are exposed to multiple risks exacerbating household’s vulnerability. The critical threat to cities may be from the impact of climate change on human settlements which ranging from insignificant to catastrophic. Many cities are affected by the climate change while they lack the adaptive capacity to deal with climate change (underdevelopment, poverty, poor planning and poor governance and lack of skills).  Planners are in an ideal position to reduce the climate change impacts, but have been slow to get involved.

Few strategies, plans or frameworks analyze and monitor hazard and vulnerability factors or contain risk assessments of the present and future effects of climate change on urban areas. This can be explained by the many other short-term developmental challenges demanding immediate action. But sustainable urban and spatial planning cannot ignore the warning signals of the climate change projections. There is therefore a need to mainstream climate change adaptation and mitigation measures into development planning policies, strategies and interventions

 Module aims

This module introduces the theories and key concepts of climate change and cities. It will help students to understand cities as key contributors to Climate Change, but also elucidating how cities are, in return, affected by climate change impacts. It also looks at how climate change adaptation and mitigation can be considered in urban planning.  Several examples of how cities can play a transformational role in addressing climate change are presented.  Finally, a contextual framework of sustainable development will help student to understand the value of planning for sustainable urbanisation

Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed the module, students should be able to:

1. Introduce climate systems to help students thinking about the impacts of climate change on cities;
2. Explain how urban areas/cities are affected by, and contribute to, climate change;
3. Explain how climate change adaptation and mitigation can be integrated into urban planning;
4. Describe the role that cities can play in achieving green and climate resilient development;
5. Identify the evidence of climate change impacts on urban areas in Rwanda;
6. Evaluate the level of mainstreaming of the climate change impacts into existing spatial development plans and urban master plans in Rwanda.
7. Critically read relevant literature on climate change and sustainable urbanization.
8. Use practical and presentation skills, comparative work, empirical observations on linkages between urbanization, climate change and sustainable urban development

 Indicative Content: To achieve the above learning outcomes, the following topics will be covered: Global Climate System; Causes and Impacts of Climate Change; Urbanization and Environmental Changes; Cities as main contributors to Climate Change; Impacts  of Climate Change on Urban Areas; Urban Planning for Climate Change; Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in Urban Areas; New Urban Agenda for Sustainable Cities;  and Value of the sustainable Urbanization.

 Learning and Teaching Strategy:  The main teaching and learning methods are based on instructor-led lectures, practical classes, structured exercises all supported by set reading and self-directed study. To establish a strong assessing the relationships  between  urbanization and climate, these activities will involve guest lectures from Rwanda Meteorological Agency . In the form of real word case study students will have an opportunity to holistically apply the learnt knowledge  on the linkages between urbanization and climate change  in a small project for achieving the sustainable urbanization in  Rwanda.

Assessment Strategy: The final mark for this module consists of two main components: CAT (Quizzes, Group assignments, individual assignments) and Final exam. Individual exams will consist of some short answer questions to test intuition, and longer questions.  Exams will allow ranking accurately students’ understanding of the material.

Grading: grading will be made as transparent, consistent and fair as much as possible. For all written work, solutions and point distributions will be distributed to make clear why any points have been deducted.

Academic honesty: copying all, or part, of someone else’s homework, or lab report, or looking at someone else’s quiz or exam during a test period are all obvious forms of academic dishonesty.  Sanctions will be taken against anyone found guilty of academic dishonesty. For additional information refer to the General Academic Regulation about that issue.

Assessment Pattern: The final mark for this module consists of two main components: CAT (Quizzes, Group assignments, individual assignments): 50% Final exam: 50%. The mark for the group assignment consists of the submitted report (50%) and final group presentation (50%). 

 Strategy for feedback and student support during module:  Seminar and discussions with students on course progress. Question hour. Course assessment and evaluation; Final feedback on class performance 

Module leader:  Dr Jean Pierre Bizimana

Email: bizijp@yahoo.fr  or bizimanajeanpiere@gmail.com

Module description

This module aims to provide students with practical knowledge/skills for using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) technologies for Urban Planning issues and assessing planning effects on local, regional and global level. This implies to build upon the theoretical and practical knowledge/skills gained in the two lower years in GIS to include methodologies and tools that integrate various spatial analysis and modeling techniques for urban planning. This will be achieved through the introduction of analytical methods of urban/regional factors, spatial modeling processes and visualization of results.

 Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed the module, students should be able to:

1. Understand and explain the use of GIS for urban planning applications (urban management, accessibility, service location planning, site selection, transportation, urban infrastructure, land suitability, laud use zoning, impact assessment (social, economic, environmental), strategic planning, disaster management) in Rwanda and elsewhere
2. Define the kind of spatial data needed for research/applications related to urban   planning
3. Understand the steps for the development of (spatial) database and information system for Urban planning
4. Develop basic skills of error and uncertainty in URP analysis and modeling
5. Use GIS software in analyzing, diagnosing, and predicting problems and issues related to urban   planning
6. Design methodologies for urban information systems and use appropriate GIS software in solving identified problems or issues in the field of urban planning;
7. Search and use available spatial data related to urban   planning in Rwanda and the region
8. Work with satellite data and apply basic methods for spatial analysis for solving urban planning related problems
9. GIS tools for querying and visualization in urban context: database queries, parcel queries, etc.

Lecturer: Dr Jean Pierre Bizimana

Email: bizijp@yahoo.fr  or bizimanajeanpiere@gmail.com