IDFC0101 Environmental Sciences [3 0 0 3]
Course Contents
Humans and the Environment
Definition, scope and importance.
Multidisciplinary Nature.
Environmental Ethics and Emergence of Environmentalism: Anthropocentric and eco-centric
perspectives (major thinkers).
Natural Resources and Sustainable Development
Water resources: Use and over-utilization of surface and ground water. Floods, droughts,
conflicts over water, dams-benefits and problems.
Mineral resources: Use and exploitation. Environmental effects of extracting and using mineral
resources.
Energy resources: Growing energy needs, renewable and non-renewable energy sources, use of
alternate energy sources.
Sustainable Development: Chemistry approaches towards Environment Sustainability: Green
Chemistry and Green Engineering.
Environmental Issues: Local, Regional and Global
Solid waste: Municipal and hazardous waste and its management.
Land use and Land cover change: Land degradation, deforestation, desertification and
urbanization.
Disasters: Natural and Man-made (Anthropogenic)
Conservation of Biodiversity and Ecosystems
Biodiversity and its distribution: Biodiversity as a natural resource, biodiversity in India and
world, biodiversity hotspots.
Major Ecosystem types in India and their basic characteristics: General and brief introduction
to different ecosystems (Forests, Wetlands, Grasslands, Agriculture, Coastal and Marine).
Major conservation policies: in-situ and ex-situ conservation approaches
Environmental Pollution and Health
Air pollution: Adverse health impacts of air pollutants, National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
Water pollution: Water quality parameters and standards, adverse health impacts of water
pollution on human and aquatic life.
Soil pollution: Impact on human health and ecosystems.
Noise pollution: Noise standards and adverse impacts of noise on human health.
Climate Change: Impacts, Adaptation and Mitigation
Climate change, global warming, acid rain and ozone layer depletion.
Mitigation of climate change: Green House Gas (GHG) reduction vs. sink enhancement, concept
of carbon intensity, energy intensity and carbon neutrality, carbon capture and storage, National
climate action plan and Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) and climate
justice
Environmental Management
Introduction to Environmental Laws and Regulation: General and brief introduction to
Constitutional provisions- Article 48A, Article 51A (g) and other derived environmental rights.
Environmental management system: ISO 14001.
Environmental Treaties and Legislation
General and brief introduction to:
The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.
The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000.
Industry-specific environmental standards.
Waste management rules.
Case Studies and Field Work
Discussion on one National and one International case study related to the environment and
sustainable development.
Participation in plantation drive and nature camps.
Documentation of campus biodiversity.
Campus environmental management activities such as solid waste disposal, water management
and sanitation, and sewage treatment.
Course Outcomes
CO1: Understanding of concepts and methods: Ecological and Physical Sciences and their application in
Environmental problem solving.
CO2: Understanding of the transnational character of Environmental problems and ways of addressing
them, including interactions across local to global scales. Applying of system concepts and
methodologies to analyze and understand interactions between social and environmental processes.
CO3: Reflecting critically about the roles and identities as citizens, consumers and environmental actors
in a complex interconnected world.
CO4: An interdisciplinary approach to complex environmental problems using basic tools of the natural
and social sciences including ecosystems, biology, chemistry, economics, political science and
international processes.
CO5: The ability to work effectively as a member of an interdisciplinary team on complex problems
involving multiple competing stakeholders and agenda. It will also help in developing the ability to
write effectively about complex environmental problems and do so for both specialist and general
audiences with equal facility.
Recommended Books
1. Headrick, Daniel R., “Humans versus Nature - A Global Environmental History”, Oxford
University Press, 2020.
2. Benny Joseph, “Environmental Studies”, 3rd Addition, McGraw Hill Education (India), Pvt. Ltd.,
2018.
3. Deeksha Dave, S.S. Katewa, “Environmental Studies”, Cengage Learning India, Pvt. Ltd., 2012.
4. A.K. D E, “Environmental Chemistry”, 7th Addition, New Age International, Pvt. Ltd., 2010
5. Anubha Kaushik, C.P. Kaushik, “Environmental Science”, New Age International, Pvt. Ltd., 2011.
6. Reach Bharucha, “Environmental Studies”, 2004.
7. B. K. Sharma, “Environmental Chemistry”, 2007.
8. V. K. Ahluwalia, “Green Chemistry”, 2013.
9. N. E. Carpenter, “Chemistry of Sustainable Engery”, CRC, 2014.
10. Kanchi Kohli and Manju Menon, “Development of Environment Laws in India”, Cambridge
University Press, 2021.
11. M. K. Theodore and L. Theodore, “Introduction to Environmental Management”, 2nd Edition.
CRC Press, 2021.
12. B. Pittock, “Climate Change: The Science, Impacts and Solutions”, 2 nd Edition. Routledge, 2009.
