Environmental Studies Syllabus for Undergraduate Students of Delhi University

Environmental Studies Syllabus

(One-Semester Compulsory Core Module for Undergraduate Programmes)
[Only For Delhi University Students]

Compulsory Course on Environmental Studies for Undergraduates of University of Delhi (One Semester)

Unit 1: Introduction to environmental studies

•      Multidisciplinary nature of environmental studies; 

•    Scope and importance; Need for public awareness.  (2 lectures)

Unit 2: Ecosystems

•      What is an ecosystem? Structure and function of ecosystem; Energy flow in an ecosystem:

Food chains, food webs and ecological succession. Case studies of the following ecosystems:
a) Forest ecosystem

b) Grassland ecosystem

c) Desert ecosystem

d)Aquatic ecosystems (ponds, streams, lakes, rivers, oceans, estuaries) (6 lectures)

Unit 3: Natural Resources: Renewable and Non-renewable Resources 

•      Land resources and land use change; Land degradation, soil erosion and desertification.  

•      Deforestation: Causes and impacts due to mining, dam building on environment, forests, biodiversity and tribal populations.

•      Water: Use and over-exploitation of surface and ground water, floods, droughts, conflicts over water (international & inter-state).

•      Energy resources: Renewable and non-renewable energy sources, use of alternate energy sources, growing energy needs, case studies. (8 lectures)

Unit 4: Biodiversity and Conservation

•      Levels of biological diversity : genetic, species and ecosystem diversity; Biogeographic zones of India; Biodiversity patterns and global biodiversity hot spots

•      India as a mega-biodiversity nation; Endangered and endemic species of India

•      Threats to biodiversity: Habitat loss, poaching of wildlife, man-wildlife conflicts, biological invasions; Conservation of biodiversity: In-situ and Ex-situ conservation of biodiversity.

•      Ecosystem and biodiversity services: Ecological, economic, social, ethical, aesthetic and Informational value.  (8 lectures)

Unit 5: Environmental Pollution

•      Environmental pollution : types, causes, effects and controls; Air, water, soil and noise pollution

•      Nuclear hazards and human health risks

•      Solid waste management: Control measures of urban and industrial waste.

•      Pollution case studies.  (8 lectures)

Unit 6: Environmental Policies & Practices

•      Sustainability and sustainable development.

•      Climate change, global warming, ozone layer depletion, acid rain and impacts on human communities and agriculture  

•      Environment Laws: Environment Protection Act; Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act; Water (Prevention and control of Pollution) Act; Wildlife Protection Act; Forest Conservation Act.

•      Nature reserves, tribal populations and rights, and human wildlife conflicts in Indian context.
(7 lectures)

Unit 7: Human Communities and the Environment

•      Human population growth: Impacts on environment, human health and welfare.

•      Resettlement and rehabilitation of project affected persons; case studies.

•      Disaster management: floods, earthquake, cyclones and landslides.

•      Environmental movements: Chipko, Silent valley, Bishnois of Rajasthan.

•      Environmental ethics: Role of Indian and other religions and cultures in environmental conservation.

•      Environmental communication and public awareness, case studies (e.g., CNG vehicles in Delhi).
(6 lectures)

Unit 8: Field work

•      Visit to an area to document environmental assets: river/ forest/ flora/fauna, etc.

•      Visit to a local polluted site-Urban/Rural/Industrial/Agricultural.

•      Study of common plants, insects, birds and basic principles of identification.

•      Study of simple ecosystems-pond, river, Delhi Ridge, etc.  (Equals to 5 lectures)

Suggested Readings:

·         Bharucha, E. 2003, Textbook for EnvironmentalStudies, University Grants Commission, New Delhi and Bharati VidyapeethInstitute of Environmental Education and Research, Pune. 361.

·         Carson, Rachel. 1962. Silent Spring (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1962), Mariner Books, 2002

·         Economy, Elizabeth. 2010. The River Runs Black: The Environmental Challenge to China's  Future.

·         Gadgil, M. & Ramachandra, G. 1993. This fissured land: an ecological history of India. University of California Press.

·         Gleeson, B. and Low, N. (eds.) 1999. Global Ethics and Environment, London, Routledge.

·         Grumbine, R. Edward, and Pandit, M.K. Threats from India’s Himalaya dams.

·         Science 339.6115 (2013): 36-37.  Heywood V.H. & Watson, R.T. 1995. Global Biodiversity Assessment. Cambridge University Press. 

·         McCully, P. 1996. Silenced rivers: the ecology and politics of large dams. Zed Books.

·         McNeill, John R.  2000. Something New Under the Sun: An Environmental History of the Twentieth Century.

·         Odum, E.P., Odum, H.T. & Andrews, J. 1971. Fundamentals of Ecology. Philadelphia: Saunders.

·         Pepper, I.L., Gerba, C.P. & Brusseau, M.L. 2011. Environmental and Pollution Science. Academic press, 2011.

·         Rao MN and Datta AK, 1987. Waste Water Treatment. Oxford and IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd. 

·         Raven, P.H., Hassenzahl, D.M.  & Berg, L.R. 2012. Environment. 8^th edition. John Wiley & Sons.

·         Ricklefs, R. E., & Miller, G.L. 2000. Ecology. W. H. Freeman, New York.

·         Robbins, P. 2012. Political ecology: A critical introduction. John Wiley & Sons.

·         Rosencranz, A., Divan, S. & Noble, M.L.. Environmental law and policy in India. 2001. Tripathi 1992.

·         Sengupta, R. 2003. Ecology and economics (OUP): An approach to sustainable

·         development." OUP Catalogue.

·         Singh, J.S., Singh, S.P. and Gupta, S.R. 2006. Ecology, Environment and Resource Ecology, Environment and Resource Conservation. Anamaya Publishers.

·         Sodhi, N.S., Gibson, L. & Raven, P.HG. (eds). 2013. Conservation biology: voices from the Tropics. John Wiley & Sons.

·         Van Leeuwen, C. J., & Vermeire, T. G. 2007. Risk assessment of chemicals.\

·         World Commission on Environment and Development. 1987. Our Common Future. Oxford: Oxford University Press.