2024 Faculty Courses School of Environment and Society Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Graduate major in Civil Engineering
Water Resource Systems
- Academic unit or major
- Graduate major in Civil Engineering
- Instructor(s)
- Shinjiro Kanae
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 7-8 Mon / 7-8 Thu
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- CVE.B401
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2024
- Offered quarter
- 1Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 14, 2025
- Language
- English
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
This course provides an opportunity to study contemporary major hot-topics in terrestrial hydrology and water resource systems. Through presentations and discussions, participants are expected to obtain key concepts and perspective for the analysis, design and management of water resource systems in various scales including or particularly on a global-scale. Rather than introducing detailed equations and methodology, much attention is paid to acquire concepts and perspective inherent to water resource systems that are typical examples of human-nature systems in the "Anthropocene" in the modern world. Specifically, topics include "urban water", "agriculture and water", "forest and water", "extreme floods", from the viewpoint of sectors and elements. Topics also include, in terms of global-view, "water resources assessment", "virtual water and water footprint", and "global warming and water systems including mitigation and adaptation measures."
The aim of this course is to let students carry out investigation, participate in discussions and give presentations on selected major topics. Students, even Japanese students, are encouraged to write, discuss and make presentations in English throughout the course.
Course description and aims
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1) obtain latest and key knowledge, concepts and perspectives on major contemporary topics in terrestrial hydrology and water resources. The scales of the topics vary from catchment to global.
2) build capacity to discuss and present on each topic.
Keywords
Hydrology, Water cycle, Water resources, Floods, Droughts, Global environment, Climate change, Global warming, Anthropocene, Sustainability
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Lectures, group-presentations, discussions and small-exams are mixed in every class. There are opportunities of group-based research and presentation by students. In this academic year, an introductory class and a group discussion class will be done alternately. Because of the nature of the topics that are inherently integrated and complicated, the topics 1-14 may be integrated/combined. Also, understanding and discussion for each topic may not be separated into two classes (= both may be done in a single class). Because each topic is relatively independent, the order may be changed. Hot topics will be introduced with audio/video media. Due to a certain reason on the timetable of various classes in this department, there is a possibility of active use of online/recordings, etc. on Thursdays.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Introduction and Guidance | Understand the targets and objectives of this course. Introduction to the flow of this class. Discuss on a small topic as an example of the subsequent classes. In particular, global-warming/climate-change is the most important topic regarding hydrological hazard and water resources nowadays; thus, a brief introduction to the impact of climate change on freshwater sector will be carried out. |
| Class 2 | Uncertainty of climate change 1 (Understanding the problem; lecture by professor)(Dividing students into groups) | Understand a major problem on this topic. Divide into groups and start a discussion. |
| Class 3 | Uncertainty of climate change 2 (Discussion and group presentation by students) | Discuss and propose potential/plausible/possible solutions to the problem, and make a group presentation by each group. |
| Class 4 | Forest and water 1 (Green dam 1) (Understanding the problem; lecture by professor) | Understand a major problem on this topic. |
| Class 5 | Forest and water 2 (Green dam 2) (Discussion and group presentation by students) | Discuss and propose potential/plausible/possible solutions to the problem, and make a group presentation by each group. |
| Class 6 | Urban water 1 (Understanding the problem; lecture by professor) | Understand a major problem on this topic. |
| Class 7 | Urban water 2 (Individual Site Visit; not limited to on this particular day) | Individual Site Visit of an urban river site |
| Class 8 | Urban water 3 (Discussion and individual presentation by students) | Discuss and propose potential/plausible/possible solutions to the problem, and make a group presentation by each student. |
| Class 9 | A brief history of water management in Japan 1 (Understanding the problem) | Understand a major problem on this topic. |
| Class 10 | A brief history of water management in Japan 2 (Discussion and group presentation) | Discuss and propose potential/plausible/possible solutions to the problem, and make a group presentation. |
| Class 11 | Recent hydrological disasters in Japan 1 (Understanding the problem) | Understand a major problem on this topic. |
| Class 12 | Recent hydrological disasters in Japan 2 (Discussion and group presentation) | Discuss and propose potential/plausible/possible solutions to the problem, and make a group presentation. |
| Class 13 | Virtual water trade and water footprint 1 (Understanding the problem) | Understand a major problem on this topic. |
| Class 14 | Virtual water trade and water footprint 2 (Discussion and group presentation) | Discuss and propose solutions to the problem. |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
Not specified
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Handouts will be distributed in the class
Evaluation methods and criteria
Assessment is based on the quality of presentations and reports. A short presentation (or a report) is assigned for each topic. Modification will be explained in the Introduction of the course.
Related courses
- CVE.G401 ： Aquatic Environmental Science
- CVE.G402 ： Environmental Statistics
- GEG.E412 ： Hydrology and Water Resources Conservation
- GEG.E502 ： Environmental Hydraulics
- GEG.E411 ： Atmospheric Environment in Megacities
- CVE.B311 ： River Engineering
Prerequisites
None required
Other
I will be also in charge of "hydraulics experiment" for undergraduate students that is done at the afternoon of Thursday. Thus, on Thursday, some devises including on-demand video may be applied. Thus, the order of lecture topics may be re-ordered.