202-404 Emerging Issues in Land Resources

Eligibility for Honours or postgraduate degree.

This subject provides insight into the emerging issues faced by the various land management disciplines, particularly in Australia. These may include social, economic and biophysical aspects of issues such as genetically modified organisms, climate change, globalisation and market protection, access to water, changing consumer demands, spatial information technologies, land and water degradation and loss of biodiversity. Experts in various fields of agriculture, biology, resource management, public policy, climatology and commerce will deliver reviews of emerging issues, and assess potential impacts on agriculture, the environment, rural and urban communities and the rural and national economy in a series of facilitated forums. Approaches for collecting and analysing information that has not been peer reviewed will be examined.

On completion of this subject, students should be able to:

• communicate the major emerging issues impacting on Australian land management disciplines;

• evaluate the impact of emerging issues on individual industries;

• evaluate technological and policy needs for mitigating impacts and realising opportunities resulting from emerging issues; and

• identify new issues as they arise and be able to analyse their potential impact.

One assignment of 5000 words (50% of total marks), three forum critiques up to 1000 words each (30% of total marks), individual seminar presentation (20%). Students are also required to demonstrate attendance at the ILFR seminar program.