Water Quality Management

After completing this specialization, graduates will be able to:

• Understand and predict for a given water resources system the main hydrological, chemical and biological processes and how these processes are dynamically linked with aquatic ecosystems as well as with human activities such as land and water use and pollution;
• Understand and explain the main concepts and instruments for analyzing and influencing formal and informal arrangements for water quality management, including policies, laws and institutions, and by adopting a historical perspective;
• Understand the key concepts for integrated, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary analyses of aquatic ecosystems and describe the challenges of such approaches;
• Understand concepts to determine the value of water for various uses and users in (amongst others)economic and ecological terms and explain how these concepts can be in water resources planning at various spatial and temporal scales.

Knowledge and theory

• Understand and predict for given water resources system the main hydrological, chemical and biological processes and how these processes are dynamically linked with aquatic ecosystems as well as with human activities such as land and water use and pollution.
• Understand and explain the main concepts and instruments for analyzing and influencing formal and informal arrangements for water quality management, including policies, laws and institutions, and by adopting a historical perspective.
• Explain the key concepts for integrated, multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary analyses of aquatic ecosystems and describe the challenges of such approaches.
• Understand concepts to determine the value of water for various uses and users in (amongst others) economic and ecological terms and explain how these concepts can be used in water resources planning at various spatial and temporal scales.

Methods, techniques and tools

• Interpret, design and optimize water quality assessment and monitoring programs by
• Applying experimental, statistical and modeling tools.
• Formulate and critically evaluate governance frameworks related to water quality management
• Apply tools for policy analysis with the emphasis on social inclusion and sustainability.
• Combine different types of method and through a process of triangulation synthesize outcomes in a coherent manner.

Analysis, synthesis and integration

• Define a given water resources system, and compose the water and pollution flows across time and space, including the various water uses, and describe the interdependencies these create between the various water users.
• Critically evaluate technical and/or institutional interventions focused on water quality (projects/programs/ policies/ agreements) through analysis of implications for the water resources system, its users and their interrelations at various spatial and temporal scales.

Research

• Conduct, independently or in a multidisciplinary team, research including the formulation of research questions and hypotheses, the selection and application of adequate research methodologies and techniques and the formulation of well-founded conclusions, recommendations and limitations.

General academic skills

• Clearly and systematically communicate, argue and defend findings in oral and written presentations to a variety of audiences.
• Think in multidisciplinary and integrated dimensions and be able to distinguish main issues from side issues.
• Have the academic attitude and learning skills to enhance and keep up-to-date the acquired knowledge and application skills in a largely independent manner

Admission Requirement

• Applicants must have degree in in any of the following: chemistry, biology, geology, chemical engineering, civil engineering, environmental Science and environmental engineering from a recognized university,
• Applicants will be required to take and successfully pass an entrance examination,
• Applicants must meet the general admission policies of the University.