Course in ethics of conservation and resource use
A course in ethics of conservation and resource use started the 6th of October at The University Centre of the Westfjords.
Working in resource management and development fields often means facing difficult choices as people seek to balance the conservation and utilization of natural resources with the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, protecting Indigenous rights, promoting environmental justice, and securing a healthy economy. Actors involved in decision making and resource use often possess different priorities and ethical values which means controversial decisions with long-term implications. This course provides an overview of diverse fields of environmental ethics that can inform decision-making and management of these important resources.It also introduces students to practical applications and examples of how ethical approaches can and should be used. Particular emphasis will be given to applications and case studies involving coastal and marine resources.
The course instructor is Marie Schellens, environmental researcher at peacebuilding organisation PAX (NL), where she monitors environmental damage impacting the lives and livelihoods of people in conflict zones through earth observation and geospatial analysis, in collaboration with affected communities. She explores the wider linkages between environmental degradation, the climate crisis, and conflict to strengthen international norms and policies on this nexus and supports the integration of environmental initiatives in peace work.
Before joining PAX, she worked as an environmental security analyst at the UN Environment Programme. She coordinated the development of Strata, an easy-to-use web-based mapper that supports project managers, analysts, and policymakers to streamline climate security data in their daily work. From 2016 to 2020, she was a Marie Curie PhD fellow at Stockholm University and the University of Iceland, researching the role of natural resources in conflict risk. She holds an MSc in Geography jointly from KU Leuven and Free University Brussels (Belgium, 2015).
More information about the course can be found here.
All master's courses taught at UW are open to guest students, exchange students, and people from the world of work. The courses are part of our two international multidisciplinary master's programs, Coastal and Marine Management and Coastal Communities and Regional Development. The courses are modular, taught in English, hands-on and many of them include field trips and company visits. Check out the UW course catalogue to find out more.