The subject was delivered to students by an expert and geologist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Joern Kasbohm of University of Greifswald. The class begins with a discussion on the expectations from students in learning the course such as the following:

Understanding techniques on how to protect the environment, the importance of human and other living organisms and its direct impacts on the environment, learn more about putting sustainability concepts on top of all the actions needed to address challenges nowadays, have the knowledge to contribute in creating innovative and sustainable solutions and the lectures to be interesting as well. The professor delivered the targets of the lecture to be Sustainable Development is not only controlled by Natural Sciences but contains also an important social component and indeed this social component is to consider in any concepts for protection of environment. The students actively participated on the class about Sustainability with applications to Global Thinking where he completely explained the international conventions and United Nations Millennium Development Goals, explained about climate change , how to reduce CO2-emission in the most possible and responsible ways – information about what are greenhouse gases which affecting global carbon cycle and also mentioned  emissions trading. Besides, sustainability in geosciences and environmental sciences definitions, advantages and disadvantages of energy resources ( renewables and non-renewables). He gave students the knowledge including technology of renewable energy and the solutions it can offer in agriculture. There was discussion about the considerations for energy resources, available reserves, exploitation methods and consumption, how critical the status and availability of fossil energy resources leading to demand for alternative energy resources, the lectures arrived to the conclusion of Step-wise substitution from non-renewable by renewable resources.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kasbohm with AEP K44 students 

The evaluation of sustainability was also talked about in the entire course, the value of Recycling in sense of “Hierarchy of Raw Materials” , water, carbon and ecological footprints, explained Land use in sense of valuing ecosystem services, lastly sustainable management including Integrated Water Resources Management - planning-scale, involving refinancing concepts for waste water treatment, Solid Waste Management and Clean Development Mechanism. The students were further provided awareness about many problems associated with waste contributing to soil, water and air pollution affects the environment, ecosystems and its effect on human health, activities against land use deeply affect the socio economic development. Dr. Kasbohm showed the importance of GIS applications and mapping especially in decision making and planning for different strategies concerning environmental protection and many other aspects the knowledge that was delivered to students by Dr. Jorge Hartleib. Finally he talked about Tools for Sustainability from assessments, identification of tasks and challenges to principles of acting and responsible resources management. Focus in managing the resources since it will provide us the most cost effective solutions.

Prepared by: Jimlea Nadezhda A. Mendoza

K44 AEP Student- ITC, TUAF