Environmental assessment and management

Specific Foundation / Core

After the successful attendance of the course the postgraduate student should: • Be able to conceive the severity of global environmental problems at a global and local level. • Understand the dynamic correlation and interdependence between development and environment and comprehending the value of the principles of sustainable development. • Know the historical evolution and the causes that led to the current environmental degradation and to the reversal of ecological balance. • Know the global action taken to confront the environmental problem. • Be able to conceive the value of the methodological approaches to the integrated environmental management, the management of demand of natural resources and the decentralized and participatory environmental management. • Be able to conceive the compatibility of the environmental management and assessment methods under the principles of sustainable development. • Comprehend the mechanisms and methods of control and protection of the environment. • Know and evaluate the alternative energy sources that are available for different applications. • Understand the quantitative and qualitative problem of energy resources management. • Be able to evaluate environmental impact of energy production, transport and use • Comprehend application of optimization methods in energy resources management problems. • Understand the general principles of the national and international legislation for environmental assessment and management. • Be able to carry-out an environmental impact study in its basic form.

Energy resources and the environment: The relationship between energy and water resources. Energy consumption in developed and developing countries. The quantitative and qualitative problem of energy resources management. Energy conservation. Energy amortization. Environmental impact of production, transport and use of conventional energy resources (coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear energy). Introduction to renewable energy resources (solar, geothermal, wind, hydraulic, tidal, wave, OTEC, biomass, integrated hybrid systems). Comparative evaluation of environmental impact. Application of optimization methods to energy resources management. Environmental impact studies: Environmental impact prediction and assessment. Measurements, monitoring and inspection. Measures to mitigate impact and monitoring of their application. Water resources and environment: Water on Earth. The water resources management crisis. Water resources management and environmental planning. Sustainable water policy. Principles and methods. The holistic approach. Integrated water resources management. Application examples. Water supply and demand: Management of the supply. Water resources and hydraulic works. Environmental impact. Management of the demand. Social aspects of water resources management. Application to domestic and agricultural uses. Sustainable water resources management. Integrated hydrologic basin management. Decentralized and participatory approaches and practices in water management. Sustainability indicators and their evaluation. Water as financial good: Financial methods and tools in water resources’ management and protection. Recovery of water cost. Water pricing according its full value. Examples. Legal framework: Competences and jurisdictions. European water framework Directive (2000/60). Harmonization of Greek legislation with the EU legislation. Water resources management and regional development. Hydrologic basin management plans. Applications and examples. Management of transboundary hydrologic basins: Conflict mitigation. Integrated management of hydrologic basins. International treaties and problems. Decision methods in management of international waters. Hydrodiplomacy principles. Application examples.

Energy resources, renewable energy resources, environmental impact, integrated water resources management, sustainable development, green economy, transboundary water basins

14-12-2016