Course summary

This course provides a progression from our FdSc Wildlife Conservation and Management and Environment and Sustainable Energy courses; however, due to its specialised and multidisciplinary nature students completing a FdSc in a related field will also be able to transition to it. The unique situation that has resulted from the global COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in vast amounts of environmental, social and economic data that simply could not have been envisaged as being possible to obtain. We now have real-world data on exactly what a global reduction in carbon emissions looks like; what a global reduction in human activity has allowed to happen and how these and many more factors have impacted upon the planet as a whole. What has emerged from the numerous personal tragedies is a message of hope. The Earth can heal, ecosystems can bounce back, and sustainability and a greener way of life is possible. Students will also explore the most dynamic and perhaps controversial of ecological restoration strategies, Rewilding. Lauded by many as the way forward to large scale ecological recovery and future resilience, this is also seen as a vehicle for the enhancement of human wellbeing by returning us to our biological roots. Students will study the discipline of carbon management that is a highly sought-after vocational skill across many sectors, from agriculture to management, they will learn how to perform carbon audits and carbon reduction plans, plus other mitigations and interventions that will be essential for sustainable development in all sectors and businesses. Zoonoses are diseases that can cross the species gap. Climate change, human population increase and the degradation of the natural environment are thought to have played a significant role in the transmission of zoonoses and these diseases have had wide ranging impacts upon human populations across the millennia. Students will explore the environmental, social and economic impacts and implications of zoonoses with particular emphasis on the impact of the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Students will then complete a dissertation in an area of their choice. This is a truly holistic and multidisciplinary course that will equip the student with the tools necessary to be a part of the development of sustainable futures for all.