Muut kurssit / Other courses - LUT

Water is humanity’s most essential public good but also the most affected by the current ecological crisis. Unchecked expansion of consumption by heavy industry, agriculture and urbanization are rapidly turning fresh water into a scarce public good, both in quantity and quality. Such a dilemma does not affect only semi-arid regions, but also countries such as Brazil that hold 12% of global fresh water, the equivalent to 53m3 per capita, five-fold the global average. Still the country is suffering from an acute crisis of supply and quality that threatens the cleanliness and safety of its freshwater reserves. In this short course we will address the current crisis of water management by studying the historical evolution of Brazil’s water policies, dilemmas and difficulties in the age of globalized capitalism. Special attention will be given to the northeastern state of Ceará water management system, considered to be the country’s most effective. The course will be divided into three sessions. Each will begin with a lecture, followed by a discussion based on required readings. To earn the 2 ECTS, students must attend the lectures, complete group work after the lecture week, and submit a final individual essay.