COURSE

INFORMATION SUMMARY

WATER 201X: BLUE IS THE NEW GREEN

TABLE OF CONTENTS

OVERVIEW
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
COURSE TIMES AND LOGISTICS
GRADING
COURSE COMPONENTS
COURSE TOPICS

MODULE 1
MODULE 2
MODULE 3
MODULE 4
MODULE 5
MODULE 6

HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THIS COURSE

October November 2014

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COURSE INFORMATION SUMMARY

WATER 201X: BLUE IS THE NEW GREEN

OVERVIEW
Learn about innovative urban solutions to the global
water crisis, with inspiring real-life examples from
architects, engineers, planners, ecologists, and artists.

Mobilizing water-related design in pursuit of environmental sustainability is
one of the most cutting-edge topics in architecture, engineering, planning,
urban design, and urban ecology. In this course, students will learn about
innovative solutions to the global water crisis, featuring Vancouver--one of
the worlds leading cities for blue-green design.
Students will:
explore multiple perspectives from the social and natural sciences;
develop an understanding of the interconnections between water
and other environmental security issues (the water-energy-foodhealth nexus);
critically analyze innovative blue-green design strategies at
multiple scales; and
link concepts and examples of regenerative sustainability.
The course features architects, planners, artists, engineers, and
academics that have been central to creating real-world innovations
which link water and sustainability in the built environment.
Specific topics include: blue-green building design; eco-health; the role
of water in environmentally-sensitive urban planning; waste-to-resource
conversion at the neighborhood scale; urban stream regeneration; water
ethics; and regenerative sustainability.
October November 2014
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COURSE INFORMATION SUMMARY

WATER 201X: BLUE IS THE NEW GREEN

MODULE

TOPIC

Week 1

RETHINKING THE WATER NEXUS

From trade-offs to solutions

Week 2

REGENERATIVE SUSTAINABILITY
Leave the world a better place

Week 3

CLOSING THE LOOP

Waste is a resource

Week 4

URBAN SOCIO-HYDROLOGY
Landscapes are waterscapes

Week 5

URBAN ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION

To restore is to reconnect

Week 6

WATER ETHICS
Think like a watershed

October November 2014

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COURSE INFORMATION SUMMARY

WATER 201X: BLUE IS THE NEW GREEN

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Dr. Karen Bakker is a Professor in

the Department of Geography at
the University of British Columbia
(located in Vancouver, Canada).

She is a Canada Research Chair

and Founding Director of the
Program on Water Governance at
UBCs Institute for Resources,
Environment, and Sustainability.

A Rhodes Scholar with a PhD from Oxford University, Professor
Bakker was named one of Canadas Top 40 Under 40 in 2011. She
will be inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in
November 2014. Her work has appeared in over 100 academic
publications, including books with Oxford, Cornell, and Toronto
University Press (her h-index is 30). She has also published in
popular media (Dissent, Globe and Mail, Guardian, Huffington Post,
Sunday Times). Karen also regularly acts as advisor/consultant to
national and international organizations, as well as non-
governmental organizations (NGOs). http://karenbakker.org

Fun facts:
Karen has two daughters and loves bicycling and gardening.
Under her pseudonym, Karen Le Billon, she writes books on food politics,
focusing on food education for children. Her first book on this topic won
Canadas top food writing award in 2013.
October November 2014
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COURSE INFORMATION SUMMARY

WATER 201X: BLUE IS THE NEW GREEN

COURSE TIMES AND LOGISTICS

New modules will be released each Wednesday, at 10:00 am
Vancouver time or 17:00 UTC. After November 2, 2014 this time
will shift to 18:00 UTC to adjust for Pacific daylight savings time.

Graded quizzes and other assignments are due Sunday at 11:59 pm,
Vancouver time or Monday at 7:59 UTC a week and a half after
they open.
Please see the detailed course schedule for specific dates and times
for each week.
Questions should be directed to the discussion forums, which will be
checked every two hours between 9 am and 9 pm, Vancouver time.

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COURSE INFORMATION SUMMARY

WATER 201X: BLUE IS THE NEW GREEN

GRADING, ASSESSMENT, AND CERTIFICATE
Each student's final course grade is based on the following items:
- 6 graded quizzes
- 1 optional peer-evaluated assignment
The final score will be based on the best 6 scores of these 7
assessed items. Each of these scores will be weighted equally in
the final course grade.


Verified Certificates: You have the option of signing up for a
Verified Certificate of Achievement that shows you have successfully
completed your edX course and verifies your identity through your
photo and ID. Verified certificates are available for a fee.
Honor Code Certificates: If you choose to audit the course, you will
receive an Honor Code Certificate of Achievement if you meet the
minimum grade requirement of 60%. An honor code certificate of
achievement certifies that you have successfully completed a course,
but does not verify your identity. Honor code certificates are
currently free.
Signing up for the Verified Certificate is entirely optional
every component of this course is freely available to all
students.

October November 2014

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COURSE INFORMATION SUMMARY

WATER 201X: BLUE IS THE NEW GREEN

COURSE COMPONENTS

In each of the six weekly modules of the course, you will be expected
to cover four components: videos, readings, discussion, and quizzes.
The suggested times are average; individual students may find they
need more (or less) to complete the components.

VIDEOS
Approximately 30 minutes per week.

1. The story videos featured each week should be watched first.
These present the inspiring stories of innovators who have used
blue green design to solve an aspect of the global water crisis.
Through their explanations of their innovations, you will be
introduced to the key concepts for the week.

2. The lecture videos explain the concepts introduced in the story
videos in greater detail, providing context and key definitions. The
lecture videos have deliberately been designed at a relatively
moderate pace, to allow students whose first language is not English
to follow along. Nonetheless, you may wish to watch the videos
twice, as they present relatively high-level concepts in a short space
of time.

3. The vlog videos are informal videos (like video blog posts) in
which Professor Bakker shares additional insights relevant to the
readings and/or discussions.

October November 2014
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COURSE INFORMATION SUMMARY

WATER 201X: BLUE IS THE NEW GREEN

READINGS
Approximately 60 to 90 minutes per week.

You are expected to complete one required reading per week. These
readings were selected to deepen your understanding of the core
concepts. Because the readings are detailed academic or policy
publications, you may find them time-consuming to read. We
recommend that you read them at least twice prior to the quiz, as a
detailed understanding of the readings will enable you to perform
better on the quiz questions. Use the readings to clarify your
understanding of the lecture materials, to prepare for the discussion
and quiz, and to investigate topics you find especially interesting.

DISCUSSION
Approximately 30 minutes per week.

The discussions are a crucial part of the course. Each week, the
Instructor and TAs will offer specific questions for student
discussion. These questions are designed to help you prepare for the
quiz, so it will be useful for you to spend time (i) responding to the
questions and (ii) reading and commenting on other students
responses.

QUIZ
Approximately 30 minutes per week.

The short quizzes have several multiple choice questions. You are
allowed two attempts to obtain the correct answer.

October November 2014
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COURSE INFORMATION SUMMARY

WATER 201X: BLUE IS THE NEW GREEN

Module 1: The Water-Energy-Food Nexus
Water is the great connector
In this module, we will develop an understanding of the
interconnections between water, energy, food, and land security,
and the potential for synergies through integrated management. We
will introduce the key concepts Water-Energy-Food Nexus and
Water Security, and discuss their implications for communities and
the environment in developed and developing countries. Finally, we
will identify some of the key drivers of the global water crisis, and
discuss their effects on water supply and demand.
Reading
Asian Development Bank 2013. Thinking about water differently:
Managing the water food energy nexus. Asian Development Bank,
Metro Manila, pp 2-18.
http://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/pub/2013/thinking-about-
water-differently.pdf
Learning Objectives
Students should be able to:
1. Explain the WEFL nexus concept by describing the interrelationship
of nexus sectors, and the synergies and tradeoffs that result.
2. Describe water security as a multi-faceted concept, and discuss key
social, ecological and political elements of water security.
3. Identify the key drivers of the global water crisis, and explain their
effects on water supply and demand.
October November 2014
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COURSE INFORMATION SUMMARY

WATER 201X: BLUE IS THE NEW GREEN

Module 2. Regenerative Sustainability
Leave the world a better place
In this module we will introduce the role of water in connecting
ecosystem health with human health, and discuss the need to
regenerate healthy socio-ecological relationships. We will use the
concepts of ecosystem goods and services and ecohealth to explore
the benefits humans receive from water and natural ecosystem
processes. A green building in Vancouver will provide examples of
the way in which good urban design can regenerate healthy human-
environment relationships. Moving from the building to the
watershed, we will also identify opportunities to improve human
and ecosystem health through watershed management.
Reading
Bunch, M. J., K. E. Morrison, M. W. Parkes, and H. D. Venema.
2011. Promoting health and wellbeing by managing for social
ecological resilience: the potential of integrating ecohealth and
water resources management approaches. Ecology and Society
16(1). http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol16/iss1/art6/
Learning Objectives
1. Define ecosystem goods and services, and provide examples of the
benefits humans receive from natural watershed processes
2. Explain the concept of ecohealth from a socio-ecological systems
perspective
3. Explain how blue green building design can incorporate the
concept of eco-health, with positive outcomes for humans and
watershed management.
October November 2014
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COURSE INFORMATION SUMMARY

WATER 201X: BLUE IS THE NEW GREEN

Module 3: Water-Energy Security

Waste is the new resource
In this module we will focus on the potential win-win solutions
that arise through treating waste as a resource, thereby generating
energy. As context for the case study of the False Creek Energy
Utility, you will learn (in the lecture video and readings) about a
broad range of water and energy interactions, thereby enhancing
your understanding of the sustainability of different energy sources.
You will also learn about the energy requirements of key water
services, and have an enhanced understanding of opportunities to
improve energy efficiency in the water sector.
Reading
McMahon J.E., S.K. Price. 2011. Water and Energy Interactions.
Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA.
http://escholarship.org/uc/item/5pr6r5h6

Learning Objectives
1. Understand the difference between water demand of various
forms of fuel and electricity production, including consumptive and
non-consumptive uses
2. Discuss the sustainability of different energy sources, based on the
tradeoffs between water, energy, and food security, carbon emissions,
and ecosystem impacts
3. Identify the energy requirements of key water services, and
opportunities to improve energy efficiency in the water sector

October November 2014
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COURSE INFORMATION SUMMARY

WATER 201X: BLUE IS THE NEW GREEN

Module 4. Urban Waterscapes
Rethinking landscapes as waterscapes

This module will introduce you to the concepts of landscape

infrastructure and multifunctional landscapes. We will discuss
opportunities to implement a nexus approach and increase waters
ecosystem services through a strong understanding of the
relationship between landscape structure and its socio-ecological
functioning. A neighbourhood-scale urban redesign project at False
Creek will illustrate the way in which multifunctional sites can
improve the ecological performance of urban landscapes. Based on
this example and others, we will learn about the benefits of and
potential for decentralized, blue-green water infrastructure.
Reading
Lovell, S. T. and D. M. Johnston. 2009. Designing landscapes for
performance based on emerging principles in landscape
ecology. Ecology and Society 14(1): 44.
http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol14/iss1/art44/
Learning Objectives
1. Explain landscape infrastructure in terms of the relationship
between the structure of the landscape and its socio-ecological
functioning
2. Apply the concept of multifunctionality to identify opportunities to
improve landscape performance
3. Explain the potential benefits of for decentralized, soft water
infrastructure
October November 2014
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COURSE INFORMATION SUMMARY

WATER 201X: BLUE IS THE NEW GREEN

Module 5: Urban Stream Restoration
To restore is to reconnect
In this module, we will scale up to the urban watershed, focusing
on urban ecology restoration. Ecological restoration has grown in
popularity over the past few decades; this weeks case study
presents an interesting and challenging case of a highly developed
stream in the heart of Vancouvers central industrial district. You
will learn about the complex set of processes may shape urban
streams and rivers, and gain an appreciation for the challenges
inherent in urban stream restoration. You will also learn about the
interplay of benefitsecological, economic, and socialthat arise
when successful stream restoration projects occur.
Reading
Gurnell, A. , Lee, M. and Souch, C. 2007 Urban rivers:
Hydrology, geomorphology, ecology and opportunities for
change. Geography Compass 1(5): 1118-1137
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1749-
8198.2007.00058.x/full
Learning Objectives
1. Define ecological restoration as it applies to urban streams and
rivers, and explain key characteristics of restoration projects.
2. Describe potential benefits for ecosystem services and habitat, as
well as human communities
3. Explain the potential links between ecological restoration at the
watershed scale and other urban blue-green design initiatives

October November 2014
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COURSE INFORMATION SUMMARY

WATER 201X: BLUE IS THE NEW GREEN

Module 6: Water Ethics

A new water worldview
In the context of the escalating global water crisis and a changing
climate, a new ethic of water-society relations is required. The final
week focuses on articulating local solutions from the last five weeks
with a global perspective. We will introduce key paradigms and
principles of water management, and evaluate their potential to
contribute to a sustainable water future. This module will also
highlight the impacts of climate change on hydro-social relations,
and implications for future water management. Building on this
emerging water ethic, we will discuss what water-centric thinking
and planning means in practice, and its implications for water
policy.
Reading
Groenfeldt, D. 2010. The next nexus: Environmental ethics,
water management and climate change. Water Alternatives
3(3): 575-586.
Learning Objectives
4. Define and compare key paradigms and principles of water
management
5. Identify the attributes of water-centric thinking, planning and doing,
and implications for water policy
6. Explain the impacts of climate change on the hydro-social cycle, and
implications for future water management

October November 2014

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COURSE INFORMATION SUMMARY

WATER 201X: BLUE IS THE NEW GREEN

HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THIS COURSE

This depends on your goals. If your goal is to complete the course with
a high grade, you should participate in the discussions before taking
the graded quiz. You may also consider going back to the video lectures
and using the other resources to clarify your understanding of the
concepts. If you want to really clarify your understanding after you've
seen the correct answers for the quizzes, try the following:
For each question you got wrong, write out an explanation of why
your answer was wrong and why the specified answer is correct.
Go to this module's Quiz Discussion Forum and ask for advice
from other students.
Then try the Quiz again (remember, you have two chances to get
the right answer).

Finally, if you can spare the time, go back to the discussion forum and
see if you can help some other students. This course, like all large
online courses, will only thrive if everyone contributes to the best of
their abilities.

Thank you, and we hope you enjoy the course!

Professor Bakker and the Blue is the New Green team

October November 2014

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