Soils support agricultural and natural ecosystems and regulate environmental interactions between the hydrosphere and atmosphere. It is the quality of our soils that affect productivity, the environment, health and ultimately sustainability. However, challenges such as those presented by lack of plant nutrient supply, soil acidification, physical degradation, soil contamination, and loss of soil biodiversity are problems at a global scale that threaten the sustainability of the environment and society. As well as the threats the importance of maintaining a quality soil that regulates environmental interactions will be explored, such as soil as a sink for carbon affecting climate interactions or understanding how a rich soil biodiversity can contribute to food production affecting food security. To do this, this unit of study is concerned with exploring the key pedology, soil chemistry, soil physical and soil biological processes that drive these challenges to soil quality. Time will be spent investigating how the quality of the soil can be assessed, using the indicators of the mentioned soil processes, and how the resulting data can be aggregated and communicated in a meaningful way. Working with case studies, the students will identify problems that are assessed using soil quality or function analysis with the aim of identifying management options. The management options will be evaluated to determine their adoptability and implement ability. By investigating the case studies using soil quality or function analysis students will develop their research and enquiry skills. Assessing and developing adoptable management strategies the students will develop their skills in synthesising material from multiple sources and enhance their intellectual autonomy. By producing reports and presenting seminars the students will develop their communication skills.

This unit builds on knowledge gained in undergraduate soil science and crop science units to develop an understanding of catchment water management. Particular focus will be on the effect of climate variability and change on water management decisions on output and externalities (Salinity, landscape losses). At the completion of this unit student would be able to: Identify which climate variables will be most affected by climate change and variability; Evaluate which field and farm scale outputs will be most affected by climate change and variability; Develop scenarios based on distributions of climate variability; and Calculate the likely impacts of climate variability and change on streamflow, water availability and irrigation water demand using Monte Carlo techniques.
The open source software package SWAT will be used for most analysis and other open source software will be used if needed.

This unit of study is designed to enable students to participate in and improve the management of Australian forest ecosystems. Beginning with an introduction to the unique chemical, physical and ecological characteristics of Australian forests, this unit focuses on policy development and management prescriptions driven by fundamental processes of ecosystem function. Topics will encompass both tropical and temperate ecosystems with students given the opportunity to gain first hand observation of subtropical forest management practices by participating in a 4 day field exercise. At the end of this unit, students will be able to articulate strengths, weaknesses and improvements to the management of Australian forests for the purposes of production, conservation and climate change adaptation. Students will gain first-hand experience of land management practices as they pertain to Australian forest systems and communicate with industry and governmental groups.

This unit provides students with an overview of current debates and approaches to understanding and quantifying interactions between the biosphere, oceans and atmosphere, as used around the world, and the consequences of those interactions for climate. The unit considers climate change on a variety of timescales. This unit will include a weekend field trip to Snowy Mountains field sites managed by the University of Sydney where students will be introduced to cutting edge, ongoing climate change research.

This unit of study gives an overview of basic spatial data models, and enables students to understand the use of data from a variety of sources within a geographical information system (GIS). The analysis of spatial data, and its manipulation to address questions appropriate to planning or locational applications, will be addressed, as will the development of thematic maps from diverse data layers.

The unit introduces methods associated with acquiring data in the field and examines issues associated with application of spatial data to environmental monitoring, terrain mapping and geocomputing. Students will learn both theoretically and practically how environmental data is collected using different remote sensing techniques, (pre)processing methods of integrating data in a GIS environment and the role of spatial data in understanding landscape processes and quantifying environmental change.

This Unit of Study addresses the connections between human rights and the environment. We examine an array of environmental and natural resource management challenges through a human rights lens. Students will develop the skills to describe, interpret and analyse the relationship between environmental issues and human rights norms. We study the complexity of the human rights / environmental nexus in both conservation and development contexts. Topics include conservation and protected areas, rivers and dams, mining, climate change and forests. Throughout the course we consider the value, and limitations, of a human rights based approach to environmental decision making.

A valuable opportunity to apply some of the knowledge gained from earlier coursework, ENVI5502, ENVI5503 and ENVI5504 consist of a research project as arranged between you (the student) and an appropriate supervisor. The project topic may contain a field or laboratory component, or may be entirely literature-based, but it must include an integrated analysis of an identified environmental problem. Potential topics range from ecotourism to pollution detection and monitoring, erosion to solar power, environmental law to conservation biology. The topic must be able to be completed within the timeframe of 16 weeks (one semester) of investigation, including the literature survey, sample and data collection, analysis of data and results, and write up of the report. This unit is not conducted by way of a number of contact hours per week for a semester. Instead, the student will work on the project full-time (aside from other study commitments) in a continuous manner. This unit of study is only available to students in the Master programs who have completed 24 credit points of study with a distinction average or better.

A valuable opportunity to apply some of the knowledge gained from earlier coursework, ENVI5502, ENVI5503 and ENVI5504 consist of a research project as arranged between you (the student) and an appropriate supervisor. The project topic may contain a field or laboratory component, or may be entirely literature-based, but it must include an integrated analysis of an identified environmental problem. Potential topics range from ecotourism to pollution detection and monitoring, erosion to solar power, environmental law to conservation biology. The topic must be able to be completed within the timeframe of 16 weeks (one semester) of investigation, including the literature survey, sample and data collection, analysis of data and results, and write up of the report. This unit is not conducted by way of a number of contact hours per week for a semester. Instead, the student will work on the project full-time (aside from other study commitments) in a continuous manner. This unit of study is only available to students in the Master programs who have completed 24 credit points of study with a distinction average or better.

A valuable opportunity to apply some of the knowledge gained from earlier coursework, ENVI5502, ENVI5503 and ENVI5504 consist of a research project as arranged between you (the student) and an appropriate supervisor. The project topic may contain a field or laboratory component, or may be entirely literature-based, but it must include an integrated analysis of an identified environmental problem. Potential topics range from ecotourism to pollution detection and monitoring, erosion to solar power, environmental law to conservation biology. The topic must be able to be completed within the timeframe of 16 weeks (one semester) of investigation, including the literature survey, sample and data collection, analysis of data and results, and write up of the report. This unit is not conducted by way of a number of contact hours per week for a semester. Instead, the student will work on the project full-time (aside from other study commitments) in a continuous manner. This unit of study is only available to students in the Master programs who have completed 24 credit points of study with a distinction average or better.

This unit of study introduces fundamental concepts of modern ecology for environmental scientists through a series of modules focussing on applied questions. Using case studies from Australia, students are exposed to the challenges of doing ecology and how cutting edge research is being applied to environmental management using evidence-based approaches. Meetings and discussions with people working in the field give students an insight into the ways that ecologists address ecological problems and how way they generate an understanding of natural systems. Students have the opportunity to consider different ways of doing science and ways of dealing with different kinds of data, including qualitative, quantitative, anecdotal and experimental approaches

The environmental impacts and physical principles of energy generation and use are addressed in this unit of study. Major topics include discussion of the various energy sources, global energy resources, the economics associated with energy conversion, the politics and culture that surround energy conversion and use, and renewable energy technologies. A key aspect of the unit is the fostering of skills for performing simple but useful energy and greenhouse calculations. This unit of study includes several field trips to energy utilities and associated energy sites.

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the major physical and chemical processes that control the concentration and dispersion of chemical pollutants in natural and impacted environments. The course will demonstrate how to use contaminant data effectively and how to judge the quality of chemical data. This knowledge will be used to design and to assess environmental projects, and to judge the magnitude of impact by human activity on environments and the risk posed by contaminants to ecosystem functioning. The course aims to provide present and future managers employed in environmental professions with the skills to use data with confidence and to make management decisions knowing the risks inherent in variable data quality. A field trip will be undertaken early in the semester.

This unit provides both a conceptual and an empirical foundation for the analysis of relationships between society, the environment and natural resources. In our recent past the rapid rate of global environmental change has necessitated a breakdown of traditional disciplinary boundaries in research and social scientists are increasingly called upon to work alongside natural scientists in unraveling the complexities of the human-environmental nexus. Students will examine a number of environmental issues and consider a variety of social science academic perspectives about environmental management.

This unit of study introduces participants to the power of simulation modelling in understanding and predicting behaviour of natural systems. It covers fundamental concepts, logic, and techniques (including sensitivity analysis), and develops skills in application to environmental problems such as catchment management and population dynamics.

This unit of study constitutes an international field-based experience held in Southeast Asia during the July semester break. It explores the contested notions of sustainable development and sustainability through exposure to real world development dilemmas in one of Asia¿s most dynamic countries. We explore fundamental issues such as urbanization, sustainable livelihood, resource scarcity and economic globalization. The unit of study involves lectures, in-situ readings and discussion groups, introduction to field methods, stakeholder meetings and experiential learning. Students interested in this unit should confirm their interest to the Unit Coordinators by the end of March of the year the field school will be held. There will be additional costs associated with this unit to cover food, accommodation, local transport and field assistance of about $1,200. Students will also be required to arrange their own international travel to the starting point (either Vientiane or Jakarta depending on the specific location of the course).

No assessment of potential environmental impacts is possible without relevant information about the ecological consequences. This unit is for those without a quantitative ecology background, to explain the need to quantify and what are relevant measures. Describing and understanding uncertainty will be explained in the context of precautionary principles. Issues about measuring biodiversity and the spatial and temporal problems of ecological systems will be introduced. Field experience will also be available (up to two of six hour sessions) subject to weather, tides and available staffing; please note that these sessions are voluntary.

This unit has three fundamental aims. The first is to provide a sound analysis of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedures in NSW and at the Commonwealth level. The second aim is to develop a critical understanding of EIA as a distinctive regulatory device by examining its historical, ethical and political dimensions as well as relevant aspects of legal theory. The third and ultimate aim is to combine these doctrinal and theoretical forms of knowledge so we can suggest possible improvements to the current practice of EIA in Australia.

The aim of the unit is to introduce students to overarching themes in environmental law and policy as a foundation to their more detailed studies for the Environmental Law Program. This is an overview unit addressing a number of environmental issues at various levels of analysis; such as policy making, implementation of policy and dispute resolution. The concept of ecologically sustainable development and its implications for environmental law and policy is a continuing theme. The unit is designed to develop multi-dimensional thinking about environmental issues and the strategies needed to address them. The unit provides a broad background of the political and economic issues in so far as they are related to the legal issues involved.

This unit examines the legal and institutional structures for land-use regulation and the resolution of land-use conflicts. The focus is on environmental planning, development control and environmental impact assessment. The unit will examine the design of environmental planning systems, the various types of development assessment systems, the opportunities for public involvement in decision-making processes, and the role of courts and tribunals in resolving land-use disputes.

The oceans cover two-thirds of the world's surface, and are vital to international commerce, are a store of important living and non-living resources, and provide indispensable environmental services including stabilising the global climate system. This unit reviews the major areas of the law of the sea as it has developed over the centuries. The unit takes as its focus the 'constitution' of the oceans, the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and also considers a range of other international conventions and agreements, and current state practice. Each of the major maritime zones is assessed, and there is also a detailed review of several sectoral issues, including the protection of the marine environment, fisheries, navigational rights and freedoms, and military uses of the oceans. Where appropriate, reference will be made throughout the unit to relevant Australian law and practice, and to other state practice in the Asia Pacific Region.

This unit focuses on the conservation of natural and cultural heritage, including intangible heritage, underwater heritage, movable heritage and Australian Aboriginal heritage. International, national, state and local regimes for heritage conservation are examined and considered in the context of broader environmental decision making. An important theme of the unit is the relationship between human rights and heritage protection as an intrinsic part of the human rights framework. Through the use of case studies, the unit aims to bring together a range of interdisciplinary strands in archaeology, anthropology, cultural and natural history, art, architecture and urban planning, and to weave them into a framework for the legal protection of world, national, state and local heritage.

This unit aims to provide an introduction to the framework, concepts, sources and techniques of international environmental law, and to provide an overview of international law responses to current and emerging environmental challenges. The history and framework of international environmental law will be examined before exploring a range of topical international environmental law issues, including atmospheric protection and climate change, hazardous substances and wastes, biodiversity and GMOs, the protection of marine living resources, the protection of freshwater resources and issues concerning trade. The unit will also survey the influence of international environmental law on domestic environmental law through case studies. Overarching themes will include the interdependence of environmental issues, the effects of scientific uncertainty on international environmental regulation, implementation of international environmental obligations between states at difference levels of economic development and the need for effectiveness in implementation and enforcement.

The aim of this unit is to examine the policy and legislative approaches to pollution control and the wide range of management tools employed to prevent harm and promote ecologically sustainable development. The history and framework of international laws regulating pollution will be examined before exploring a range of topical international law issues in this area, including hazardous substances and wastes, e-waste and marine pollution. The unit will also survey the implementation of international law under domestic environmental law. The unit will then examine a range of regulatory measures for pollution control, waste management and contaminated land in Australia and particularly within New South Wales.

This unit adopts an inter-disciplinary and integrative approach to understanding the dynamics of one of the most pressing global environmental concerns ecologically sustainable energy use. Working loosely within the framework of the Climate Change Convention, the unit relies on the perspectives of scientists, lawyers and economists to develop an integrated approach to sustainable energy use. The unit identifies current patterns of energy use in Australia and examines Australia's response to the Climate Change Convention. It also analyses the strengths and weaknesses of various political, legal and economic mechanisms for influencing the choice of energy use. The initiatives of the Commonwealth and New South Wales governments, as well as local councils, to promote sustainable energy use and to combat global warming are scrutinised.

The unit takes an interdisciplinary approach to the conservation of biodiversity. Key concepts in ecology are explained to provide a foundation for the legal framework. This framework is examined at international, national, and state levels, in terms of conventions and legislation, as well as policy and organisations. The legal framework is explored both by analysing the proper purpose, scope and effect of the laws, as well as how they work in practice. The latter is achieved by lectures and field exercises assisted by officers of government agencies, including State Forests, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources. An integral component of the unit is a field trip to areas of relevance to biodiversity conservation, focusing on northern New South Wales. Areas to be studied include habitats of threatened species and ecological communities and World Heritage areas listed under the relevant Commonwealth and State legislation. Field studies provide a unique opportunity to understand how principles of international and domestic law are implemented locally. The field trip component will be arranged in conjunction with the field trip for LAWS6055 Heritage Law (if offered). Students are encouraged to take both units of study; they are designed to complement each other closely.

This unit of study situates the management of Australia's water resources within an International Law context including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, International Water Law principles and an internationally recognised human right to water. The unit examines the ecologically sustainable management of water resources in the context of climate change, with Australia being the driest inhabited continent. According to the Garnaut Climate Change Review, climate change could halve the productive capacity of the Murray Darling Basin, which produces one third of Australia's food supply, by 2050. In May 2012, the Murray Darling Basin Authority released the controversial Draft Basin Plan which proposes to allocate more water for the environment. At the same time, the Council of Australian Governments is pursuing a decade long process of water reform to establish a national water trading market by 2014. Consequently, the unit examines water resource management from the interdisciplinary perspectives of law, science and within the context of broader economic reform and the National Competition Policy framework. The corporatisation of water utilities and competition in the water service market is also discussed. Key legislation covered are the Water Act 2007 (Cth) and the Water Management Act 2000 (NSW).

This is a compulsory unit for all postgraduate students who do not hold a law degree or equivalent from a common law jurisdiction entering the: Master of Administrative Law and Policy; Master of Business Law; Master of Environmental Law; Master of Environmental Science and Law; Master of Global Law; Master of Health Law; Master of International Business and Law; Master of Labour Law and Relations; Master of Law and International Development as well as Graduate Diplomas offered in these programs. The unit has been designed to equip students with the necessary legal skills and legal knowledge to competently apply themselves in their chosen area of law. Instruction will cover the legislative process; the judiciary and specialist tribunals; precedent; court hierarchies; legal reasoning; constitutional law; administrative law; contracts; and torts. Some elements of the unit will be tailored in accordance with the requirements of the particular specialist programs.

This unit examines legal and policy frameworks for the management of coastal and marine areas in Australia. Topics addressed include the characteristics of Australian coastal and marine environments, the constitutional framework for the management of offshore areas, the regulation of marine pollution, marine parks and reserves, fisheries management, the regulation of offshore oil and gas resource extraction, and the management of climate change impacts on coastal and marine areas.

Recent extreme weather events and disasters around the world have resulted in loss of life, property, infrastructure and livelihoods and have severely disrupted the normal functioning of the societies which they have impacted. Worldwide insured losses alone from weather-related disasters have risen from US$5.1 billion per year between 1970-1989 to US$27 billion annually over the past two decades. International climate change negotiations have, over the past five years, delivered outcomes that are entirely inadequate to meet the goal set by the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change of keeping the rise in average global temperatures below 2 degrees C above pre-industrial temperatures. This unit of study adopts a climate justice approach to assess the respective roles and responsibilities of government and insurers to avoid, prepare for, respond to, recover from, and compensate for, the risks of climate disasters. The questions of avoidance and recovery will rely heavily on traditional Environmental Law mechanisms such as environmental planning and assessment and pollution and waste regimes, as well as the protection of biodiversity. The unit will also assess the viability of tort law and strict liability regimes for hazardous activities to compensate those who are impacted by climate disasters. The strict liability regimes include: global oil pollution spills, hazardous chemicals, asbestos and nuclear disasters. The unit will be taught by an esteemed international team of climate lawyers and individuals with experience in the insurance industry.
The objectives of this unit of study are to: Understand the science presented in two recent scientific reports, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's 2012 Special Report Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX), published in 2012, and the Australian Climate Commission's (CCC) 2013 The Critical Decade: Extreme Weather, (Extreme Weather Report, Understand the foundations of climate justice in the context of climate disasters, Understand the relevance of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, including the loss and damage mechanism, and the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters, The role of governments in enacting climate disaster risk reduction laws including: The role of Environmental and Planning Assessment Law and Building Codes in attempting to prevent climate disasters, Pollution, waste and contamination laws in the post-disaster phases, Biodiversity Law that is expected to protect species from the impacts of climate change and disasters, as well as promote ecosystems as disaster prevention measures, Governance arrangements between levels of government during and post the disaster, Compensatory regimes including those provided by government and the private sector through ex-post disaster relief, insurance and the capital markets; and The strengths and weaknesses of tort and strict liability regimes for compensating the victims of disaster.

This unit of study is designed to appeal to students across a broad range of postgraduate programs and expands on existing offerings in the area of Climate Law. The unit will cover four discrete topics on each day of the four day intensive: International Climate Law (UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Kyoto Protocol, post-2012 negotiations) and domestic Climate Law (measures effecting a price on carbon and other relevant environmental markets); understanding how to trade carbon and other certificates on a variety of environmental markets; understanding the relevant carbon and other derivative markets; and understanding the taxation implications of participating in carbon and other environmental markets. The unit assumes a basic knowledge of environmental law. The unit brings together experts within the Sydney Law School, including environmental and taxation lawyers, and experts in carbon trading and derivative markets in private practice.

This unit of study explains the major coastal processes and systems of relevance to coastal zone management. These include rocky coasts and bluffs; beaches, barriers and dunes; and estuaries and inlets. The interactions between these processes and systems that are of most relevance to coastal management are highlighted, including coastal hazards such as beach erosion, dune migration, bluff retreat, coastal flooding and inlet closure/opening. Anthropogenic impacts are also analysed. The unit is presented in lectures and field excursions, the latter enabling each system to be examined first hand.

This unit provides an in - depth overview of the key biological and non-biological processes that make up coral reef ecosystems. There is a focus on the biogeographic, oceanographic and physiological processes underlying the integrity of global tropical reef systems. The Great Barrier Reef is used as a case study to explore emerging concepts on the influence of natural and anthropogenic processes on the integrity of global coral reef ecosystems. Learning activities will include a series of background lectures and research seminars and tutorials in the development of a major research project. A major aspect of this unit is an independent research project conducted under the supervision of the course instructors. The unit concludes with a series of oral presentations based on student research. Assessment tasks will consist of one essay, essay topic presentation and a research project report and presentation. The curriculum in this unit is based on current research and course notes will be provided. This is a field intensive course held at One Tree Island Research Station. The course is ex-Gladstone Queensland and students are expected to make their own way there. The field component of the unit will be run over 4-6 days and there will be an additional course fee for transport, food and accommodation, expected to be $700.

This unit provides an in - depth understanding of the key geological, oceanographic, biological and economic factors effecting global climate change and coral reef response, with specific reference to the Great Barrier Reef. Predictions of worst and best case scenarios for the future of coral reef systems are discussed in the context of the latest science, and in light of how this science should underpin future management strategies and policy. Learning activities will include a series of background lectures and research seminars, and tutorials on the development of a major research project. A major aspect of this unit is an independent research project conducted under the supervision of the course instructors. The unit concludes with a series of oral presentations based on student research. Assessment tasks will consist of an essay, a research seminar, and a research project report and presentation. This is a field intensive course held at either One Tree Island or Heron Island or Orpheus Island Research Stations. This unit will be run over 6-8 days and there will be an additional course fee for transport, food and accommodation, expected to be about $700 (ex. travel to and from Gladstone/Townsville).

This unit will introduce selected recent topics from Ecological Economics, such as concepts of sustainability (definitions); comparisons with environmental economics, intergenerational discounting; time and equity in the climate change debate; valuing the environment; links between theories of well-being, consumerism and environmental impact; and cost benefit analysis. The unit sets the scene for the more detailed and specific units PHYS5032, PHYS5033, and PHYS5034.

This unit of study will cover the areas of the philosophy, techniques, applications and standards of Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA). It will introduce Process Analysis, Input-Output Analysis and Hybrid Analysis. Current LCA tools will be discussed. Case studies and business applications as well as global standards such as the GHG Protocol for accounting for scopes 1, 2 and 3 emissions and ISO standards will provide a context. The unit of study will culminate with practical exercises using current software tools to provide students with hands-on experience of preparing a comprehensive Life-Cycle Assessment of an application of their choice. Students will also benefit from also enrolling in PHYS5033 for a sound understanding of input-output analysis as the basis of hybrid LCA methods.

This unit will provide an opportunity for students to synthesize and draw conclusions from their coursework experience and learning, and to enable them to revise and/or develop the necessary skills for engaging with environmental research as part of their intellectual and/or professional growth. The unit focuses on skills in cross-disciplinary problem identification and the use of integrated analysis to address environmental challenges. Other skills include critical reading and critical writing, undertaking a literature review, understanding how research is conducted and published, library search techniques, use of referencing systems like EndNote, and matters relating to intellectual property and authorship.

The unit provides theoretical and empirical background necessary for a resource economist to be able to successfully function when faced with various environmental problems. The unit investigates economic aspects of a range of environmental issues. The studied concepts are exemplified with environmental problems related to agriculture (soil salinity, algal blooms, overgrazing etc.) as well as with environmental problems typical to Australia. The guiding economic themes are: competing uses of the environment / externalities, market failure, the importance of property rights, optimal allocation of pollution abatement, and the processes for making choices relating to non-market goods. Some social issues with environmental impacts are studied through exploration of the problems of population size and distribution, economic growth, and environmental regulation.

This unit of study provides an introduction to the wildlife of Australasia, an overview of the present status of that wildlife, and an understanding of both conservation problems and management solutions. Issues in wildlife management are exemplified using a broad range of vertebrate species occupying different environments. Emphasis is placed on providing students with a coordinated and interdisciplinary approach to wildlife health and management, and on developing expertise in recognising and solving a broad range of problems in field populations. The unit integrates lectures, practical work and supervised study, and offers students the opportunity to work through real-world wildlife conservation problems relevant to their individual backgrounds.

This unit of study provides a first-hand introduction to the wildlife of Australasia, a practical overview of the present status of that wildlife, and an understanding of both conservation problems and management solutions. Issues in wildlife management are exemplified using sampling and diagnostic methods on a broad range of vertebrate species occupying different environments. The unit follows on from WILD5001 and provides practical experience via a five day field trip at the university farm "Arthursleigh" near Marulan NSW.