Course description

Students will develop an understanding of how land use relates to the water cycle with case studies on agricultural systems and principles of sustainable management from farm to catchment scales. They will be able to converse with agriculturalists as informed water managers. Principles of efficient irrigation water use and conservation of water in dryland systems will be emphasised. The intensification of land use has led to the degradation of ecosystems, so this unit will introduce students to remediation techniques to counter land and water degradation through improved management practice. An understanding of agricultural water management and approaches off-site mitigation will prepare students for problem-based learning (PBL) exercises in catchment management. Interactive decision support models will be utilised to assess the impacts of management decisions on water quality and farm productivity within a catchment context. A risk-based decision approach will be applied to land and water management in this module with an emphasis on linking management to governance. Peri-urban encroachment on agricultural land use and alternative water sources will be examined. Flexible delivery - field trips to Perth/Albany WA.

Archived offerings