Tentative Syllabus
Seminar on Climate Change and Sustainable Development in Latin America (ESS 490 - Selected Topics in Environmental Science)
Course Description
In this course (3 credits, 48 hours)., students will acquire basic knowledge and skills on the science of climate change, analyze historical trends in climatic variability and human vulnerability, and examine the current national and international policy debates on climate change adaptation and mitigation. The course is designed from the perspective of Latin American reality, exploring questions of technology transfer, distribution of risks and benefits, and social marginality between More Developed Countries (MDCs), Less Developed Countries (LDCs), and new Emerging Economies. Students will obtain academic background and a multidisciplinary and integrating approach to both the challenges and opportunities presented by global climate change. The course will involve group discussions, interactive lectures, assigned readings, and field trips.
The course will be instructed in English, but students will be required to participate in an intensive Spanish training administered by experienced native instructors. This language component is essential for the experiential approach utilized by the course, and to take full advantage of the discussions, visits and other interactions that the students will be having with real-world issues of climate change in Panama. Throughout the course, students will learn to use technologies and to apply cutting-edge research methodologies for the analysis and monitoring of natural and human systems affected by climate change. The acquired knowledge and interests developed by the students will lead to the implementation of their group internships in ESS 499.
Supervised Research in Climate Change and Sustainable Development in Latin America (ESS 499: Undergraduate Research Capstone)
Course Description
Students will carry out group internship projects requiring a full and partial time work load at different times of the Program. The group internships will provide students with the opportunity to gain professional experience in business, government, and nonprofit organizations in Panama. Students will conduct research and/or analyses related to CATHALAC's thematic areas of work. For each specific group project, the students will work closely and be supervised by a specialist from CATHALAC's international staff. The students may be based in CATHALAC's office or at a different institution or field site related to their research. Emphasis will be placed on teamwork and interdisciplinary integration. Upon completion of the internships, students will present their research and findings to CATHALAC staff and other interested parties. By the end of the Study Abroad Program students will walk away with the feeling of having accomplished a full-fledged research and/or analysis project.
2011 Course Syllabus (Part 1) (Part 2)
Possible Research Topics for 2012 include:
- Extreme Weather Events and Vulnerable Communities in Eastern Panama
- Sea-level Rise and Water Supply in Dry Areas
- Pacific Fisheries and Land-Use Change in Tropical Watersheds
- Tropical Agriculture and Changes in Precipitation in Central Panama
- Social Vulnerability and Environmental Economic Opportunities in the Panama Canal Watershed
- Climate Change and Health Issues in Central Panama
- Tropical deforestation and Air Quality in Central Panama
Representative Readings
2010. Tim Ormsby et al. Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop. ESRI Press.
2010. Hamlyn Jones & Robin Vaughan. Remote Sensing of Vegetation: Principles, Techniques, & Applications. Oxford University Press.
2011. Paul Longley et al. Geographic Information Systems and Science: 3rd Edition. John Wiley & Sons.
2007. James Campbell. Introduction to Remote Sensing: 4th Edition. Guilford Press.
2003. David O’Sullivan & David Unwin. Geographic Information Analysis. John Wiley & Sons.
2006. Merrill Ridd & James Hipple. Remote Sensing of Human Settlements: 3rd Edition. ASPRS.
2005. John Krygier & Denis Wood. Making Maps: A Visual Guide to Map Design for GIS. Guilford Press.
1998. National Research Council. People and Pixels: Linking Remote Sensing and Social Science. National Academy Press, Washington DC.
2007. James Wiseman and Farouk El Baz. Remote Sensing in Archaeology. Springer Press.
2011. Richard T. Wright and Dorothy F. Boorse. Environmental Science: Toward a Sustainable Future, 11 edition. Pearson Education Publishing. San Francisco, CA.
Special Topics Course for Environmental Research in the Central American Region (ESS 590/ATS 690)
(PREREQUISITES: ESS 490 & ESS 499)
Course Description:
This course will consist of a research project related to environmental research, sustainability, and decision making in the Central American region. The student will conduct research at the Panama CATHALAC facility in Panama under the supervision of a CATHALAC researcher(s) and a UAHuntsville professor in Hunstville, Al using remote sensing and GIS technology. The student will work with CATHALAC and UAHuntsville personnel to design a research activity that addresses a critical environmental issue in Central America. (read more about the class)
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