Population, Environment and Landscape Change
In this course, you will study some of humanity’s major challenges: population development, food supply, environmental changes, and resource utilization.
Population, Environment, and Landscape Change, 7.5 credits, is part of the Human Geography I – course package, 30 credits, and also included in the first term of the Bachelor's Programme in Human Geography – Society, Environment, and Global Processes, 180 credits, as well as within the Urban and Regional Planning Programme, 180 credits.
Food supply, a growing population, and environmental changes are some of the major challenges facing humanity. The food we eat is produced in specific locations, where our consumption contributes to shaping local agricultural landscapes and environmental impacts. Population, food supply, and resource use are closely interconnected, impacting the physical landscape and environment.
The course covers fundamental demography and examines the forces driving demographic changes. Additionally, it discusses resource utilization in terms of food supply and agriculture, exploring how it influences and is influenced by landscapes and the environment, and how these relationships have evolved from historical times to the present.
Throughout, perspectives are both local and global, emphasizing how global and local processes interact. The course also provides basic knowledge about resource utilization in historic societies, how traces of these practices remain visible in today’s landscapes, and how these traces constitute cultural heritage. Exercises and field trips develop skills in methods for analyzing the links between population, environment, and landscape.
Teaching Format
Mandatory instruction includes an introduction, lectures, seminars, exercises, and field trips.
Detailed information, including grading criteria, is provided during the course introduction and via the learning platform Athena.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, you should be able to:
- Describe and explain demographic concepts and theories regarding population, resources, and development.
- Describe and explain changes in food provision and resource utilization historically and in contemporary settings around the world.
- Relate landscape changes over time to societal development and sustainable development.
- Identify future challenges related to the course themes.
- Critically assess the links between population, society, and landscape.
Assessment
Assessment occurs through written exams, submission assignments, and visual and digital presentations.
Examiner
Several teachers evaluate and assign grades within the course.
Examinator: Lowe Börjeson
