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WelcometotheSchoolof GeographyandtheEnvironment

I am extremely pleased to welcome you to the University of Oxford. Oxford is a

remarkably diverse and stimulating place, and the postgraduate programme to which youhave beenadmitted in theSchool will be an anchor point in your intellectual and social life

here over the coming terms. Together with the distinctive core features of your chosen

programme, I hope that you will take advantage of the opportunities the School offers to

reachout and learn about theworld fromthewider body of students and staff populating

the International Graduate School. I hope too, that you will make the most of what each

College and thewider University has to offer interms of your broader academic interests.

The School of Geography and the Environment, and its associated research centres (ECI, TSU and the Smith

School of Enterprise and the Environment), provide a unique hub for environmental teaching and research at

Oxford. Together, we provide undergraduates, MSc, MPhil and DPhil students across a range of cognate

disciplineswith the combinationof social and natural scienceskills to engage effectively with thebig themesof

the21st century: fromclimate change to globalization; fromphilosophies of nature and society to biodiversity

conservation; and from the frontiers of environmental science to the hard realities of public policy and

corporate decision-making. The world-class quality of our research was recognised in the latest national

assessment exercise (2008) with an equal first ranking for Geography and Environmental Studies in the UK.

This has important implications for what and how weteach, particularly at postgraduate level. We take pride in

the range and scope of our postgraduate programmes, and we are committed to a level of intellectual

engagement with issues that will carry over into your research and subsequent careers. We want to make a

differenceand believethat youare an important part of that commitment.

Sarah Whatmore,Professor of Environment andPublic Policy

Head, School of Geography andtheEnvironment

andtotheInternationalGraduateSchool

As Director of Graduate Studies (Taught Programmes), I amdelighted to welcome you

to Oxford and to the School. One of the most exciting aspects of being a graduate

student at Oxford is the opportunity to interact with leading academic and policy

thinkers and get to know students and staff froma remarkablerangeof backgrounds

and disciplinesin theSchool, in your College and inthecity.

The challenges ahead of you are exciting and, doubtless, a little daunting. You should

have confidence in your abilities and the experiences that you are bringing to your

new course. But you should also bereadyto tacklenew challenges and new ideas. The School is anintellectually

demanding but supportive environment in which to study. We emphasise both independent and collaborative

styles of working, providing a wealth of opportunities to engagein an energetic researchculturethrough class

discussions, seminars, reading groups, field work and many other academic and social events. I look forward to

meeting youas your courseprogresses.

Professor Giles WiggsDirector of Graduate Studies(Taught Programmes)


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and, finally, to theMScinWaterScience, PolicyandManagement

A verywarmwelcome fromtheWSPM teaching staff and cross- university water network.

The MSc course and student body provide an enthusiastic and dynamic hub for the cross- university network of

researchonthe issuestaught and debated onthecourse. Water is increasinglyrecognised as one of thedefining

global, national and local policy issues for economic growth, human development and environmental

sustainability. The teaching staff provide some of the most authoriative scientists and practitioners working on

these interdisciplinary issues at all levels around the world. This gives you an unprecedented opportunity to

engagewith enduringandemerging water research andpractice challenges.

As you will read you have a packed schedule for the year ahead both in class, on field trips and through wider

engagement with government, enterprise and NGOs who actively engagewith thecourse. Wealsohaveastrong

and growing DPhil (PhD) community working on key water research questions, many of whomgraduated from

theMSC,and all of whomwill provide suppport during different aspects of your year at Oxford.

Dr SimonDadson Dr KatrinaCharles

Academic Director Course Director


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MSc Water Science, Policy andManagement CourseHandbook

1

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................................................2

1.1. CourseIntroduction.................................................................................................................................................2

1.2. School of Geography and theEnvironment.........................................................................................................2

1.3. Oxford Learning Environment ................................................................................................................................4

1.3.1. Learning Approach...........................................................................................................................................4

1.3.2. Library and Learning Facilities.......................................................................................................................4

1.4. Weblearn....................................................................................................................................................................4

1.4.1. Oxford University Computing Services.......................................................................................................4

1.5. Feedback....................................................................................................................................................................5

1.6. Alumni Networks.......................................................................................................................................................5

2. COURSEINFORMATION..................................................................................................................................................6

2.1. Aims/Objectives........................................................................................................................................................6

2.2. Core TeachingStaff .................................................................................................................................................62.3. CourseDescription...................................................................................................................................................7

2.4. CourseStructure......................................................................................................................................................8

2.5. Core Modules............................................................................................................................................................8

2.5.1. Water Science..................................................................................................................................................8

2.5.2. Water Policy,Politics andLaw....................................................................................................................10

2.5.3. Water Management.....................................................................................................................................11

2.6. Elective Modules....................................................................................................................................................11

2.7. Research DesignandMethods............................................................................................................................11

2.8. Dissertation............................................................................................................................................................12

2.9. Fieldwork.................................................................................................................................................................122.10. Induction.............................................................................................................................................................13

2.11. Health andSafety..............................................................................................................................................13

3. ASSESSMENT REGULATIONS......................................................................................................................................14

3.1. Assessment.............................................................................................................................................................14

3.2. Criteriafor overall classification..........................................................................................................................14

3.3. Re- assessment.......................................................................................................................................................14

4. ASSESSMENT COMPONENTS.....................................................................................................................................15

4.1. WrittenExamination .............................................................................................................................................15

4.2. Elective Modules....................................................................................................................................................15

4.3. Dissertation............................................................................................................................................................164.4. SubmissionDeadlines............................................................................................................................................17

4.5. Penalties relating to late submissions................................................................................................................17

4.6. Penalties relating to overlong Assessed Essaysand Dissertations...............................................................17

4.7. Plagiarism................................................................................................................................................................18

4.8. Role of External Examiners, Colleges andProctors.........................................................................................18

4.9. MSc Marking Guidelines.......................................................................................................................................19

4.10. Linksto Key Documents and Resources.......................................................................................................20

APPENDIX1: TEACHINGSTAFF.............................................................................................................................................21

APPENDIX2: COREMODULES..............................................................................................................................................26

APPENDIX3: RESEARCHDESIGN &METHODS.................................................................................................................45


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MScWater Science, Policy andManagement CourseHandbook

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1.INTRODUCTION

1.1. CourseIntroduction

This handbook provides an overview of the MSc in Water Science, Policy and Management (WSPM) course. It sets

out the aims of the course, the content of the study programme and the various component parts of the course,

including lectures, elective modules, seminars and dissertation. The booklet also contains important information

about submitting coursework, guidelines for dissertations, attending examinations, and other aspects of course

management. You should read through the handbook carefully and ensure that you understand your obligations

throughout the course. We will provide you with more detailed material for particular parts of the course as

appropriate duringtheyear.

Most of all we would like to thank you for choosing to come to Oxford to study for the MSc in Water Science,

Policy and Management. We hope that your year in Oxford will be a formative and memorable time. The 'core'WSPM team includes Dr Simon Dadson (Academic Director), Dr Katrina Charles (Course Director) and Ussanee

Namthong (MSc Co- ordinator with MSc in ECM). We are available to help you to get the most out of the course.

The MSc WSPM is closely linked with the Oxford Water Network (www.water.ox.ac.uk), but draws on many

aspects of research expertise in the School of Geographyand the Environment, the Environment Change Institute,

including research clusters on Climate Systems and Policy, Landscape Dynamics, and Transformations: Economy,

Society andSpace.

The course places great emphasis on the training and development of transferable professional and research skills in

both the natural and social sciences to prepare students for advanced research careers, doctoral research and

policywork ingovernment, non- government andbusinessorganisations.

1.2. School of GeographyandtheEnvironment

The School of Geography and the Environment (SoGE), and its associated research institutes based in Oxford

University Centre for the Environment (OUCE), is an internationally- recognised centre of excellence for

environmental research and scholarship. The historical origins of SoGE lie in the former School of Geography, the

first geography school to be established in Britain over 100 years ago by Halford Mackinder. The School was

established through a co- operative effort involving the Royal Geographical Society and Oxford University. From

these deep roots the School has grown and prospered. The ethos of SoGE is to promote research that is bold,

innovative andchallenging whileremaining committedto thehighest standardsof scholarship.

Today, SoGE is one of the leading centres of scholarship for environmental and social change. It has been a leading

global institution in developing cutting edgeresearchnot only in theUK, but around theworld. SoGE is committed

to training a new generation of graduate students in the core research fields of the environmental science and

human geography and in the new and exciting interdisciplinary research frontiers that exist between and across

thesedisciplines.

SoGE is home to the internationally recognised Environmental Change Institute (ECI) and other vibrant research

hubs along with cross-departmental research groups, such as the Oxford Water Network. Creative combination of


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theoryand practiceprovidesarelevant and fertile training ground for our postgraduates. Our researchprogrammes

span the globe with researchers working in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and North America along with a strong

recordinEuropean studies and,of course, theUK.

SoGEcurrently offerstwo thesis-based higher researchdegrees (DPhil and MPhil) and four MSc courses:

MScBiodiversity,ConservationandManagement

MScEnvironmentalChangeandManagement

MScNature,SocietyandEnvironmentalPolicy

MScWater Science,PolicyandManagement

The MPhil inGeography and the Environment is atwo- year versionof these programmes aimed at studentswho

wishto haveasubstantial researchcomponent to their studies. In thefirst year, candidatestake thecoursework

and examinations associatedwithone of thefour MSccourses intheSchoolof Geography and theEnvironment

and inthe second year, students devote most of their time to researching and writing athesisof 30,000 words.

1.3. Transfer fromMSc toMPhil

During the MSc course some students decide that they would like to extend their studies by transferring to the 2

year MPhil programme. In the first instance you should discuss the possibility of transferring with your Course

Director. The deadline for making an application to transfer to the MPhil is Friday week 1 of Trinity Term.

Applications should be submitted to Ruth Saxton, Research Degrees Coordinator ([email protected]). The

application shouldinclude:

an email of support fromthe agreed supervisor of your MPhil thesis(sent directlyto Ruth Saxtonby the

deadline)

acompleted Changeof Programme of Studyform(GSO.28) signedbyand approvedbyboth your college

andproposeddissertation supervisor.

an MPhil dissertationproposal (to amaximumof 1000 words) outlining thecontext, aims, methods, and

timetableof your proposed research.

All applications will be reviewed by a panel Chaired by the DGS (Taught Programmes) in early Trinity Term.

Applications will beassessed on the basis of the academic performance of the applicant, the dissertation proposal,

and any resource requirements from the School (including staffing and supervision resources). Applications will

normallyonly be considered fromstudents who have achieved at least 60%in their assessed essays from thetwo

electives. Students will not bepermittedto transfer to theMPhil if they do not passall of their MSc examinations.

Final decisions on applications to transfer to the MPhil will only be confirmed after the meeting of the MPhil

(Qualifying Examination) board in early July. The department retains the right to refuse a transfer. You should also

note that your college will askfor evidencethat youhavethefinancial means to cover thefees and living expenses

of the additional year of study.


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1.4. OxfordLearningEnvironment

1.4.1. LearningApproach

During your time at Oxford youwill experiencea widerange of different formats and styles of teaching fromsmall

group discussions to field visits, and from traditional lectures to public talks by some of the worlds leading

academics. In keeping with Oxfords tradition of academic freedom, the exact nature of the learning experience

within any particular tutorial, seminar or lecture is left to thediscretionof the lecturer which, we hope, produces a

dramatic variety of learning experiences. The most typical forum for teaching and learning remains the lecture

complemented byworkshops, classdiscussions, fieldwork andlaboratory work.

In the International Graduate School, we place strong emphasis on peer group and individual learning. Your peer

group consists of exceptionally talented scholars from around the world, many of whomhave practical experience

or extensiveknowledge of issuesand topics that are coveredduring theMSc course. Westrongly recommend that

you formstrong academic bonds with your peers and we encouragethis with small group projects, reading groupsand discussions.

Thereis an obligation on you as an individual to develop your own spheres of interest within the subject area and to

work hard at identifying gaps in your knowledge and training. Oxfords exceptional learning facilities provide

unrivalled opportunities for individual learning, not to mention the array of international researchers and scholars

who present their workat external lectures around the university. Weurge youto takefull advantage of all of these

opportunities if youareto get the most out of your time at Oxford.

Staff members are available to advise students on reading, literature, and topics. An Academic Adviser will be

allocated to assist students with these matters and your Colleges will provide a personal advisor who can giveadditional support.

1.4.2. LibraryandLearningFacilities

The Oxford University library systemis extensive, with dozens of individual facilities around the city. The Radcliffe

Science Library, which holds theGeography collections, will fulfil manyof your needs, but over the course, you will

also need to seek out books from other locations. A tutorial on using the library facilities will be provided during

inductionweek. Moreinformationmay befound athttp:/ /www.ox.ac.uk/libraries/

1.5. Weblearn

Weblearn is Oxford Universitys Virtual Learning Environment. WSPM has its own space (rooms) where we post

general course information along with lecture notes, reading lists and other materials specific to each module,

workshop or field trip. There is also a class message board, and Weblearn contains information on all staff and

students at Oxford, and their groups, thus allowing youto easilyrestrict access to certaincohorts.

1.5.1. OxfordUniversityComputingServices


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Oxford University Computing Services (http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/ ) offer a wide range of Information Technology

support including excellent training courses and ashop selling leading softwareat educational discount prices.

1.6. Feedback

You will receive feedback on formative assessments for core modules and electives. You will also receive written

feedback on the summative elective essays. Written feedback will focus on how to improve thequality of your

writtensubmissions and/or researchdesign.

1.7. AlumniNetworks

The School of Geography and the Environment now runs active alumni networks. With over 1,000 Masters

graduates as well as more than 5,000 thousand former geography undergraduates, this network is a growing

source of professional contacts, knowledge, and advice. This includes over 200 WSPM alumni living and working all

over theworld, many of whomcame backfor our 10- year anniversaryreunion in2014.

You will be invited to become part of the alumni networks upon graduating. However, you can benefit from your

own Masters network and the wider School network during your MSc year. For example, you can join the LinkedIn

groups to get an idea of what alumni went on to do, find people to give you advice about internships or your

dissertation, andattend networkingevents organised bySoGE.

For more information, please visitwww.geog.ox.ac.uk/alumni or email Christine Baro- Hone, the Alumni Relations

Officer, at [email protected]

Alumni are always keen to hear what current students are up to so do let Christine know about projects, field

trips and events youthink might be of interest to them.


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2.COURSEINFORMATION

2.1. Aims/Objectives

Sustainable water management is an increasingly complex challenge and policy priority facing global society.

Unprecedented climate, economic, technological and demographic change require a new generation of dedicated

professionals who are committed to and trained in the interdisciplinary nature of water science, policy and

management. The next generation of decision- makers will have to make increasingly challenging choices on water

development, allocation and management issues at local, regional and international levels under conditions of

increasing climate unpredictabilityandrisk. Our programme is designed to provide acritical understanding of natural

water science and the socio-economic, political, cultural and institutional environments within which water

management decisions are made. The one-year course aims to equip the next generation with the blend of skills

necessary to make a significant contribution to sustainable water management and pathways across competingprioritiesof water for ecosystems, food, energy, health, economic growth andhumanconsumption.

The specific objectives of the MSc course include:

To equip students with theoretical knowledge and applied skillsnecessary to makeasignificant contribution

to water management at local, regional or global scales.

To provide an advanced and integrated understanding of thescientific, legal, policy and political dimensions

of water development, allocation andmanagement.

To foster a critical perspective and grounded understanding of issues relating to water development, use

andaccessunder considerationsof extremes, equity andsustainability.

To introduce students to transferable research skills necessary to undertake further advanced study by

researchat Oxford, or elsewhere.

To enhance students' personal and professional development, andtheir employment- related skills.

2.2. CoreTeachingStaff

This inter-disciplinarycourse is led by academics in SoGE, supported by experienced practitioners, all of whomhave

considerablenational andinternational expertise (Appendix1).

The corestaff teaching on the course includes:

Dr SimonDadson: Academic Director, University Lecturer inPhysical Geography

Dr KatrinaCharles: CourseDirector, Departmental Lecturer

Dr Emily Barbour: ResearchFellow inHydrology

Dr Richard Bailey:University Lecturer inGeochronology

Professor DavidBradley:Distinguished VisitingScholar

Andrew Dansie:Graduate Teaching Assistant

Prof Mike Edmunds: Visiting Professor of Hydrogeology


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Dr DustinGarrick: Assistant Professor and PhilomathiaChair of Water Policy, McMaster University, Canada

Professor David Grey: Visiting Professor of Water Policy

Professor JimHall:Director of theEnvironmental ChangeInstitute

Dr Rob Hope: ResearchLecturer andAssociate Professor

Dr Jocelyne Hughes: ResearchAssociate

Dr DavidJohnstone: DistinguishedResearchAssociate

Dr CatharinaLandstrm: Research Fellow

Michelle Lanzoni: Graduate Teaching Assistant

Dr ChristineMcCulloch: VisitingResearchAssociate

Professor Edmund Penning-Rowsell OBE:DistinguishedResearch Associate

Michael Rouse CBE:DistinguishedResearch Associate

Julie Self: Water Policy Advisor withthe Government of Alberta, Canada

Dr TroySternberg:ResearchFellow

Dr Abi Stone: Lecturer inPhysical Geography,University of ManchesterProfessor Richard Washington: Professor inClimate Science

Prof Paul Whitehead:Visiting Professor of Water Science

2.3. CourseDescription

The course is composed of eight core modules,

two elective modules and a dissertation. Emphasis is placed

throughout the course on critically and innovatively exploiting cross-disciplinary perspectives, outlooks and

approachesbetween the taught components to provide a richer andmore nuancedunderstanding of theintegrated

nature of water management. The mode of teaching is a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops,

discussion/reading groups, computer andlaboratory classes, andfield- based activities.

TheMSccoursecomprises:

Eight coremodules, whichare assessed bywrittenexamination;

Two elective modules, whichare assessed throughessaysand/ or coursework;

A researchdissertation;

Research skillstraining;

Workshops, seminars andfieldtrips.


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2.4. CourseStructure

The course is structured around taught modules, elective modules, water security seminars and research skills with

an independent dissertation project submitted by the first weekday in September of the following year ofmatriculation.

2.5. CoreModules

A brief descriptionof eachof thethree thematic areas and associatedmodules are given below. Full details oneach

module, lecturesand reading lists can befound inAppendix 2.

2.5.1. WaterScience

This thematic area develops knowledge and understanding in physical, chemical, ecological and epidemiological

aspects of water science in temperate, tropical and semi- arid zones. It provides a foundation in basic processes in

each key subject areas, as well as interactions throughout the hydrological cycle, the role of society in altering the

naturalhydrologicalprocesses and function,and theimpact thishas onhealth.

Climate and Catchment Processes The aim of the module is to provide an understanding of basic processes

affecting the catchment hydrological cycle andits variability: inputs, internal processes, outputs.The module begins

with a description of thegeneral circulation of the atmosphere, key modes of climate variability such as ENSO, and

how these control the regional climate regimes and variability. This is followed by lectures covering the

fundamentals of catchment- scale climate drivers: precipitation and evaporation. Next, the physical hydrology of


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catchment is covered: hillslope processes, channel hydrology, groundwater flows and residence times. The module

concludes with an introductionto climate change andits impact onhydrological processes andwater availability.

Water Quality This module investigates the chemical, geochemical and biological processes taking place within

the hydrological cycle; water- rock interactions, aquatic ecology and ecological functions as well as the societal

impacts affecting water quality. These relationships are all linked by water flows and reactions taking place at

different rates within cycle. An understanding of the processes and reactions in natural water systems is a

necessary foundation for understanding human impacts on the hydrological cycle. Processes in surface and

groundwater are closely linked and the introductory lectures stress the physicochemical and geochemical controls

on the composition of natural waters. The subsequent lectures will highlight human impacts on the natural physical

andecological cycles.Topics coveredincludediffuseandpoint source contamination, including agricultural practices

giving rise to eutrophication of surface waters and nitrate pollution which affects many groundwater sources,

acidification from industrial emissions, and other pollution sources that are significant for both surface and

groundwater. The module concludes with lectures on the influence of biogeochemical cycles on aquatic ecologicalprocesses, inrivers, lakes andwetlands.

Water andHealth

Water plays a key part in the causation, transmission and prevention of many diseases as well

as being essential for life and health. The core module explains the scale and nature of the health aspects of water,

including water use, waste water and sanitation, hygiene behaviour and water resource development. Its emphasis

is on communicable diseases and their prevention by good water management. The epidemiology of the major

water- related diseases will be taught in relation to a functional classification of these diseases. Rural and urban

domestic water supplies are considered, both in tropical and temperate climates and in poor and richsocieties, and

the health problems related to both water access and water quality. The health effects of a range of water

improvements are considered, and the methods of measuring these benefits critically examined. Sanitation, thedisposal of human wastes, and hygiene behaviour are also dealt with. The range of diseases related to surface

waters and water resource developments are examined, together with their vectors and intermediate hosts, along

with health impact andopportunity assessments, andinteractions with conservation.The moduleassumesno health

background on the part of students. It therefore also teaches basic epidemiological principles (which are also of

value beyond the health field), mainly through practical exercises in relation to water. Other aspects of water-

related health are dealt with ontheinductioncourse, Otmoor, Avonsewageworks, and WEDC fieldvisits. Diseases

related to chemical water quality in other sessions. An elective module deals with water supply and sewage

treatment for developed countries in greater detail. By the end of the course, participants should have sufficient

understanding of health issues in relation to water that they can ask appropriate questions on human health of any

project they undertake, can read critically expert reports they may commission, have a sense of the work involved

in dealing with any health-relatedproblemthey encounter, and haveagoodbasis for more specialized studyif they

wishto pursue health and water issuesfurther.

Modelling Environmental Systems - This module introduces students to a range of approaches for modelling

environmental systems with particular emphasison techniquesusedin Water Science, PolicyandManagement. The

introductory class outlines the aims of the course and runs through a range of data and process-based modelling

approaches that are commonly used in hydrology. These themes are developed in a subsequent lecture on

modelling hydrological systems, which explores a range of modelling approaches in hydrology through a series of

examples. Accompanying practical sessions give a hands- on perspective on the theoretical issues raised in thelectures. A series of two lectures on climate prediction then follows. This pair of lectures underscores the need to


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understandclimate and its impact on hydrological systems andthelecturesapproach climate modelling throughthe

developing areaof seamless climate prediction. The second part of the course focuses on specific issues of timely

interest including water quality and water resources modelling, and considers how information on uncertainty in

data andmodel outputs canbemost effectivelycommunicated to end-usersand policymakers.

2.5.2. Water Society

This thematic area explores how contested domains of power, interests and knowledge influence water decision-

making, illustrated throughinstitutional, socio- economic and policyanalysis.This covers areas of water security and

governance, water services regulation, transboundary water, water access, ownership and rights, water for

development, andinteractions betweenthestate and civil society withindynamic andvariedpolitical,cultural, social

andeconomic contexts.

Water Policy, Politics and Law - This module examines relationships between water and society from the

perspective of policy, politics and law. It uses a problem- centred approach, covering water allocation, access,climate extremesandpollution, to understandhow these multiple perspectivesbear onwater security issuesacross

social, political and environmental contexts. Public policy introduces the decisionmaking processes, actions and

instruments used by local, national and international government organisations to address water security

challenges. Water politics explores how social structures, discourses, power and knowledge are contested and

marshalled to promote particular interests and specific outcomes. Water law provides the architecture to

determine the rights and responsibilities encoded by national and international legal bodies for water services

access andwater resource management.

In this module we will explore policy, political and legal responses to multiple water challenges across a range of

river basin and geographic contexts, as a platform for developing a critical understanding of theoreticalperspectives in these areas. The module is designedto enable students to actively developtheir policy analysis skills

and to apply water policy concepts and analytical skills to current and future water policy challenges through field

learning, persuasivewritingandevidence- based debates.

Institutional Governance and Regulation The objective of this module is to provide an understanding of the

elements of institutional governance and regulation whichare necessary for the delivery of effective, efficient and

sustainable water supply and sanitation services. There is exploration of critical policy matterssuchas separation of

policy and delivery functions, roles and responsibilities of stakeholders and centralisation/ decentralisation issues.

There is discussion on myths and barriers to progress such as the emotive arguments on public or private provision

of services. The module shows various public and private structures all of which can succeed if essential elements

are in place, and all can fail if those essential elements are missing. Emphasis is given to sustainable cost recovery

and failures of subsidies. Examples of transparency and public involvement are given in the context of a

participation structure. Approaches to economic and quality regulation and regulatory bodies are considered.

Drinking water safety and regulation is explored with emphasis on the management of risk. The module draws on

experience from around the world on what has worked well and what has contributed to failures. Generally, the

elements and principles apply equally to developed and developing countries, but the module considers

circumstanceswheretherequirements are different.

Water Economics This moduleaims to introduceeconomic theory, principles and techniques that pertain to waterresource and water services decisionmaking. Societal and environmental change has contributed to increasing


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water access and availability, which have increased the role and relevance of economics in water policy. We chart

neo- classical economic theory throughto contemporary disciplinary interests in environmental, resource,ecological

and behavioural economics. By evaluating the economic value of water to society and nature, we examine a range

of economic instruments to manage water more efficiently. Conditions for market failure are examined in relation

to institutional economics, social choice theory and public goods theory. We critically assess the application of

economic theory to a range of water management challenges, including water service tariff structures, irrigation

management, valuing ecosystems, and markets for ecosystemservices. We conclude by examining the degree to

whichwater policycanbeempiricallymeasuredusing impact evaluation techniques.

2.5.3. WaterManagement

This thematic area helps students to integrate the knowledge and understanding of water developed in the other

thematic areas to better enable them to tackle the big water management challenges that we face. Geographic

case studies are developed in the Basins Under Pressure sessions to compare the trade- offs that occur between

science and society in these contexts. Interactions with experts with different perspectives and expertise will helpstudents to understand thechallengesfaced bywater managers.

2.6. ElectiveModules

Elective Modules offer a small- group, tutorial- style teaching and discussion environment, based on a suite of

contemporary research themes that reflect the specific interests of core faculty and visiting research associates.

Each student has the opportunity to identify elective modules of particular interest, though the selection process

will be made through committee at the start of term. As such, theteaching aimis to foster discussion and debate

between academic staff and students to identify and explore theory, methods and practice in an academic space

that encouragesacritical dialectic.

Students will be required to read and present work to the group throughout the term. Assessment will be by an

essay of up to 4,000 words plus 150 word abstract, submitted by noononthe first Monday of the following term

to ExamSchools, High Street. Essays are to be submitted by two paper copies of the essay and soft copies in both

MS Word Document and PDF formats.

Thereis a separate handbook that provides outlines of available elective modules in SoGE for the forthcoming year.

Pleasenote,however, that moduledetails may changeat short noticedue to changes instaff availability.

2.7. ResearchDesignandMethods

In order to equip students with the necessary skills to undertake high quality research, a suite of training activities

are provided in a linked Research Skills suite of training. The aimis to develop key transferable skills in order for

students beableto execute highquality independent and original research, andexpose students to appliedresearch

methods used widely in academic and professional research. Core faculty staff will lead a series of training sessions

that will build core transferable skills in the natural and social sciences. Components include: research ethics,

academic writing, research design, hydrological modelling, GIS, water quality evaluation, and qualitative and

quantitative research methods. The skills training will both focus on strengthening capabilities to conduct high

quality researchfor their dissertationand for their futureprofessional development.


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2.8. Dissertation

With thesupport provided bythe ResearchDesignand Methods training, students will be inaposition to undertake

an independent and original researchdissertation. The dissertation is an integral and formal part of the course, and

completing agooddissertationis essential for further researchstudyinSoGE leading to thedegree of D.Phil.

The dissertation gives youthe opportunityto design and executeyour own research. The choice of research topic is

up to you, but it normally relates to one or more of the coreor elective modules, or the research interests of one of

the School of Geography staff. A supervisor will be appointed to guide youduring this work, the bulk of which will

becarried out after the examinations areover, and will behanded inonthefirst weekday of September.

It is expected that the best of dissertations will be of publicationquality, and all should show originalityand creative

scholarship. It is acceptable to submit the work in the formof a journal paper readyfor submission. This should be

discussed with your dissertation supervisor. All dissertations will be judged on the degree to which they fulfil thecriteria of a comprehensive and coherent treatment of a suitable research question in an analytical and critical

manner.

Many students will have never completed an extended piece of independent and original research before the

course. To assist students develop the skills and techniques necessary to execute a successful research project a

number of supportingmodules, training sessions andseminars will beorganised throughout the year.

2.9. Fieldwork

Fieldwork is a significant and core element of the programmes teaching philosophy. Each year there are a numberof compulsory residential and one- day field trips that allow students to implement and gain practical experience in

different areas of water management based ontaught skillsand techniques. As thefieldworktakes place ina range

of unpredictable climates, students are encourage to pay attention to pre- course information that details what

they shouldbring to Oxford.

The induction field trip is a compulsory field course ahead of the International Graduate School induction

programme. The trip will introduce the course and core teaching staff and illustrate water management issues

around theSwanageareaof Dorset onthesoutherncoast of England.

There will be a residential field trip to the Ebro Basin in northern Spain from the Pyrenean mountain source of the

Ebro River to its delta region, south of Barcelona. Like many semi- arid countries, Spain has many conflicting

demands on its increasingly scarce and unevenly distributed water resources. Aspects of current policy will be

reviewed at various points down the river illustrating the political, social and scientific narratives and debates

involved in water management. The field course will take a problem- based approach, allowing students to gain a

deeper understanding of several aspects of water resource management andpolicy.

Field notebooks should be kept for all field work on the course and may be used as part of assessment in

exceptional circumstances.


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2.10. Induction

All new postgraduates are expected to attend a full- time orientationand induction programme in theweek before

termcommences in Michaelmas Term. The purpose of this orientation is to provide an opportunity to lay out the

structure and expectations of the programme in an informal setting. The first half of the induction programme

comprises, among others, an introduction to SoGE, its component centres, and its facilities. It also introduces and

explains the training and research programme, institutional and organisational procedures, the aims, objectives,

structure, outline, and assessment methods of the course, and the key expectations and responsibilities of the

students. Information about supervision arrangements is provided. In addition, specialist induction to library and

database resources, electronic databases and Internet facilities, GIS and mapping, and the use of available

equipment and facilitiesis provided.

The second half of the induction is organised by the students respective Colleges and includes induction and

information concerning College facilities and arrangements, College computing and internet access, universityaffairs, and thelike.

2.11. HealthandSafety

Safety informationfor fieldwork, laboratory and working inSoGE isdetailed onthewebsite. Youmust read this

sectionat the start of the course: http:// www.geog.ox.ac.uk/intranet/ houserules.php


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3.ASSESSMENTREGULATIONS

3.1. Assessment

Regulations for the Degree of Master of Science (MSc) by coursework are set out in the University of Oxford

Examination Regulations, knownas theGrey Book.The assessment will consist of:

1. three individual examination components with each written component set in a three-hour paper as

describedintheschedule(40%of totalmarks);

2. a dissertation on a subject selected in consultation with the Academic Supervisor and/ or Course Director

(40%of total marks);

3. two assessed essays based onelectivemodules (20%of totalmarks).

The marking range for assessed workis: 70%and above (Distinction);

50- 69%(Pass); and,

Lessthan 50%(Fail)

3.2. Criteriafor overall classification

Based onaweightedaveragescore, candidateswill beclassifiedas follows:

Distinction: aweightedaveragescoreof 70%and abovewithgrades of 50%or morefor eachexamination

paper andthedissertation.

Pass:aweightedaverage scoreof between50%and 69%with grades of 50%or morefor each

examinationpaper andthe dissertation.

Fail:aweightedaverage scoreof below 50%, or amark below 50%for any examinationpaper or the

dissertation

In exceptional circumstancesthe examiners may decide to award aclassification notwithstanding the conventions.

3.3. Re-assessment

A candidate who has failedmay enter again for each failed component (examination papers or dissertation) onone,

but not more than one, subsequent occasion. Candidates cannot resubmit a failed assessed essay during the

academic year of the original submissiondate.

Arrangements for reassessment will beas follows:

Examination. Candidatesmay re-sit thefailedexaminationcomponent(s) intheTrinity Termof thefollowing

academic year.

Dissertation. Candidateswho fail thedissertation haveto resubmit thedissertationbytherequired date in

September inthe following academic year.

Candidates under reassessment have neither the right to attend classes nor to expect further dissertation

supervision.


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4.ASSESSMENTCOMPONENTS

4.1. WrittenExamination

Core courses will be examined by means of three three-hour written examinations in Trinity Term. These

examinations are designed to determine the students critical understanding and knowledge of the rangeof issues

covered, and also provide opportunity for students to display the results of their individual study, and use

information gainedfromfield courses and seminar series.

For easeof reference, theofficial courseScheduleprovides thefollowing examinationrubric:

(a) Core courses

The corecourses will be examined under the following heads:

1. Water Science

Candidates will be expected to have knowledge and a critical understanding of the physical, chemical and

biological processes, and interactions across the hydrological cycle at the global, basin/ catchment and

hillslope scale, of the relationship of water to health and disease, and of the engineering and technological

solutions to water supply andsanitation.

2. Water and Society

Candidates will be expected to have knowledge and a critical understanding of the arguments and issues

related to the legal, social, political and institutional dimensions of water decisionmaking, along with theeconomic approaches, modelling tools and analysis techniquesthat can beusedto support policy.

3. Water Management

Candidates will be expected to have knowledge and a critical understanding of the relevant debates and

issues concerning water management.

(b) Elective courses

Candidateswill beexpected to show advancedknowledge of two of the elective courses onoffer inany year.

4.2. ElectiveModules

Students are also required to submit written essays (of no more than 4,000 words plus 150- word abstract) on

two elective courses by the first Monday of the following termafter which the elective module was taken (i.e. a

Michaelmas electivemodulerequires submissiononthefirst Monday of Hilary Term).

Two copies of eachessay must be submitted to the Clerkof the Schools, Examinations Schools, HighStreet, Oxford

OX1 4BG and marked for the attention of the Chair of Examiners MSc in Water Science, Policy and Management.

Note that you must use your candidate number for these purposes and your name should not appear within the

submitted essays. By the same deadline you should submit aPDF of each essay (in exactly the same format as the

hard copy) to theWater Science, Policyand Management MScCourseCoordinator.


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Unlessotherwise agreedwiththemoduleleader, theformat for theassessed essaysis as follows:

Maxword count: 4,000 words, including footnotes, but excluding appendices,references and abstract

Type: 12 point

Font: TimesNewRomanor Arial

Spacing: 1.5 or double

Printing: Print on bothsides of the paper

Front page: You should include a front page with the title of the essay and title of the elective module

andyour candidate number. Youshould not put your name onthesubmissions.

References: Unless you have been instructed otherwise use a references section rather than a

bibliography

4.3. Dissertation

You must submit to the Water Science, Policy and Management MSc Course Director beforethe end of HilaryTerm

in the year in which you enter the examination, the title and details of your dissertation as set out in the proposal

template, together with the name of a person who has agreed to act as your supervisor during preparation of the

dissertation.

Two copies of the dissertation must be received, not later than 12 noon on the first weekday in September 2015

bythe Clerk of the Schools, ExaminationSchools, High Street, Oxford OX1 4BG and marked for theattentionof theChair of Examiners MSc in Water Science, Policy and Management. By the same deadline you should submit aPDF

of the dissertation (in exactly the same format as the hard copy) to the Water Science, Policy and Management

MScCourseCoordinator.

Maxword count: 15,000 words including footnotes, but excluding appendices, references and the abstract.

Abstract: An abstract not exceeding 150 words should be included.

Type: 12 point

Font: TimesNewRomanor Arial

Spacing: 1.5 or double

Printing: Singlesided

Front Page: You should include a front page with the title of the dissertation and your candidate

number. Youshould not put your name or your supervisorsname onthesubmission.

References: Unless you have been instructed otherwise use a references section rather than a

bibliography and ensure that you adopt consistent and scholarly citation and reference list

practices.

Plagiarismdeclaration: Includeone loose completed formnot bound with thedissertation.


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It is also permissible to submit a dissertation in journal paper format prepared as if for submission to a specified

international journal. Students should discuss thisoption with their supervisor. All paper format dissertationsshould

containtwo separate sections:

a) a4,000- 7,000 word literature review onthesubject areaaddressed by thepaper, and

b) an academic paper in the appropriate format for submission to an international journal, where students

should follow the published Instructions for Authors for the journal in question and should prepare the

paper according to the exact requirements of submission to that journal, including a copy of those

instructions bound inas an appendix to thethesis.

The total text of the entiredissertation(as defined above) should not exceed 15,000 words.

The examinersmay retain one copy of the dissertation of each candidate who passes the examination for deposit in

an appropriate library. All copies must bear the candidate's examination number but not his/her name and you

should ensure that you do not include information in your acknowledgements, appendices or any other place in thethesis that may reveal your identity.

4.4. SubmissionDeadlines

The deadlines for handing inassessed course workareas follows:

ElectiveModuleEssays:

Michaelmas Termessay: 1st Monday of Hilary Termby12 noon (Monday 19thJanuary2015)

Hilary Termessay: 1st Monday of Trinity TermMonday by12 noon (Monday 27 th April 2015)

Note:Thereare no electivemodules inTrinity Term

ResearchDissertation:

By 12 noononfirst weekday of September (Tuesday1st September 2015)

4.5. Penalties relatingto latesubmissions

Penalties will apply to the grade awarded for any piece of late submitted work (without prior permission fromthe

Proctors):

1. Up to 20%deducted fromtheworksubmitted up to 7 days late;2. Between 21- 30%of the assessed grade for worksubmitted between8 and 14 days late, and

3. No marks (0%) if theworkissubmitted morethan 14 days late.

4.6. Penalties relatingto overlongAssessedEssaysandDissertations

Under the regulations concerning submittedwork, Examiners are giventhe optionof imposing an academic penalty

where work exceeds the permitted length. Candidates must state the word count on the title page of their

submittedwork.


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Exceeding the word limit will be penalized on a proportionate basis, i.e. every 1%(40 words for elective essays,

150 words for dissertations) of excess will be penalized bysubtracting 1%fromthemark.

4.7. Plagiarism

Oxford University imposes severe sanctions for cases of plagiarism. In the most extreme case, a student will be

judged to have failed the course. These regulations are imposed by the University and if a student is suspected of

plagiarismthematter is likelyto pass to theProctors who will ruleonthematter independently of SoGE. We expect

students enrolled at Oxford to exhibit the highest standards of academic integrity and not knowingly submit any

work or intellectual ideas that have been adapted from or copied from a third- party source without appropriate

recognition (see below). In addition, we expect all assessed work you submit to represent new and original writing

conducted during your relevant terms in Oxford. It is not acceptable to re- package essays presented for degrees

elsewhere (i.e. self- plagiarism). Students found suspected of plagiarism will be referred to the Proctors and if

plagiarism is confirmed, the student may be failed. Any Proctoral investigation might delay the publication of a

candidatesresults andgraduation.

During Michaelmas termwe will discuss these rules and expectations regarding plagiarism. You will be required to

complete the Universitys on- line course on the topic and sign a plagiarism declaration form which accompanies

eachpieceof submittedassessed work.

Pleasesee theguidelinesat: http:/ /www.ox.ac.uk/students/ academic/goodpractice/about/

4.8. Roleof External Examiners,CollegesandProctors

There areseveral important actors within the examination process all of whomhave distinct roles. Below is a briefguide to theseroles:

1. The ExamBoard. The University appoints an exam board comprising three or four members of faculty and

an external examiner. The current Chair of MSc in Water Science, Policy and Management is Dr Simon

Dadson. The exam board is responsible for ensuring that the examinations are conducted fairly and

according to University regulations. The board of examiners may be assisted in setting and marking

assessed elements of thecoursebyother internal staff members who are termed assessors.

2. TheExternalExaminer. This is a senior academic froma reputable external academic institutionwhose role

is to verify thequality of the examinationmaterials, advisetheMSc course teamoncourse content, and sit

on the final examination board. The current External Examiner of the MSc in Water Science, Policy and

Management is Professor Declan Conway. The external examiner has the right and the duty to modify

marks if she or he sees fit.

3.Colleges . If youneed to ask for an extension on a pieceof coursework or your research dissertation, are ill

and cannot attend an examination, or have any other reason for not taking part in theexamination process

in a typical way you should liaise with the university authorities through your college, not through SoGE.

Onlyyour collegecan organise thisinadvanceof thedeadline.

4. TheProctors are responsible for the integrity, quality and effectiveness of the Oxford University

examination system. Ultimately, they are responsible for making decisions on extensions, resubmission orany other aspect of examination protocol. Requests to theProctors can only bemadethroughyour College.


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Under theUniversity Examination Regulationscandidates are not permittedto communicate with examiners

about any aspects of the assessment process after the examinations have begun. Any complaints about

assessment procedures should beaddressedto theProctors viathecandidatescollege.

4.9. MScCommittee

The MSc Committee, chaired by the Director of Graduate Studies (Taught Programmes), defines the strategic

direction of MSc provision in line with SoGEs evolving academic strategy. It is responsible for coordinating

academic programmes, staffing and timetabling across all four courses. It receives and considers the minutes of

course team meetings, examiners reports and student assessments in preparation for Divisional scrutiny. It

discussesand proposes amendments to assessment regulationsfor approval byhigher committees as appropriate.

4.10. Student Representation: Joint ConsultativeCommittee

At the start of the course the WSPM student group electstwo of their members to serve as representatives onthe

Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) which meets each term. If you have any comments or concerns you should

pass these onto your representatives who will raise themwith theCourse Teamat the JCCmeeting.

4.11. FeedbackandConcerns

Our courses are constantly being adjusted in response to changes in the discipline and student feedback. We

welcome your constructive feedback and have a number of avenues through which you can contribute feedback.

You can also use these avenue to raise any concerns that youmight have; we will seek to resolve these as quickly as

possible.Youcan:

Provide feedback andaskquestionsduringweekly classmeetings; Speak withyour Course Director or Academic Director during his/her weekly officehours; Provide feedback or raiseconcernsviayour classrepresentatives; Ensure that at the end of eachtermyoucomplete thefeedbackoneachmodulecourse as well as field- trips

andworkshops.

This feedback, along withany concerns, willbe discussed at the termly Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) for your

course. The minutes of the JCC and the module feedback are then considered by the relevant Course Teamand by

theMSc Committee(onwhichthere is student representation).

4.12. FormalComplaints aboutTeachingProvisionandAcademicAppealsProcedures

The University, the Social Sciences Division and the School of Geography and the Environment all hope that

provision made for students at all stages of their programme of study will make the need for formal complaints

(about teaching provision) or appeals (against the outcomes of any form of assessment) infrequent. However, if

youhaveconcerns you wish to raise,or formal complaints, there are clear proceduresto befollowed.

Formal complaints andconcernsabout teachingprovision

The feedback collected at the end of each lecturecourse is taken veryseriously and if you have concerns about the

teaching provided you should indicate this in your feedback. General issues of concern about provision affecting


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students as awhole shouldberaised through the Joint ConsultativeCommittee for your course. The minutesof the

JCC and the lecture feedback are considered by the relevant Course Team and by the M.Sc Committee (on which

thereis student representation).

If you have a specific complaint about teaching or other provision made by the department which cannot be

resolvedviathese channels, you should raise it with the Director of Graduate Studies (Taught Programmes). If you

are dissatisfied with the outcome, then you may take your concern further by making a formal complaint to the

University Proctors.

AcademicAppeals

Complaints about the conduct of an examination (known as an academic appeal) should be raised with the Senior

Tutor of your college or withthe Director of GraduateStudies (Taught Programmes) in the department. You should

not approach any examiner or assessor to discuss your complaint. If it is not possible to resolve your concern, it

should be submitted in writing to the Proctors via your college Senior Tutor. The Proctors can only consider

whether the procedure for reaching an academic decision were properly followed, and cannot challenge theacademic judgement of the assessors.

For further guidance you should consult the University Regulations

http:/ /www.ox.ac.uk/students/ academic/regulations.

4.13. MScMarkingCriteria

The marking criteria provide guidelines for assessorsand students for how grades areassigned for submitted work,

exams and dissertations. These are availableviatheSOGEintranet.

4.14. LinkstoKeyDocumentsandResources

The following aresome useful links

Department Intranet

. The departments intranet pages contain much information on members of staff, Health &

Safety, HouseRules and soon. To view thisinformation, follow thelink viatheSoGEhomepage.

Weblearn. This is our virtual learning environment and a key learning resources. Follow the link via the WSPM home

page: http://www.geog.ox.ac.uk/graduate/ msc-wspm/ .

PastExamPapersareavailablefromOXAM: http://missun29.offices.ox.ac.uk/pls/oxam/main.

TheCentralUniversity ResearchEthicsCommitteewebsite (http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/curec/)provides essential

information on the Universitys policy concerning the ethical review of research projects involving human

participants or personal data, undertaken by staff and students, or on University premises. The form you must

complete andhaveapproved before conductingsuchresearchis availableat:

http:/ /www.admin.ox.ac.uk/curec/oxonly/checklistsandapplicationform/ .

FieldWorkBehaviour and Safety. The forms you must complete before leaving for field work are available on the

Schools intranet at: https://intranet.ouce.ox.ac.uk/safety/fieldwork.html.


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APPENDIX1:TEACHINGSTAFF

CoreTeachingStaff

Dr SimonDadson AcademicDirector) is a University Lecturer in Physical Geography. His research focuses on theprocesses that link climate, hydrology, and geomorphology. These links range from the potential impacts of future

climate change on river flows, to the study of how continental- scale weather patterns have influenced the

development of mountain topography over thepast few million years. Prior to arriving at the School of Geography

and Environment, Simon was a Senior Environmental Modeller at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in

Wallingford wherehe remains aCEH Fellow.

Dr Katrina Charles Course Director) is a Departmental Lecturer in SoGE. Her research examines the role of

communication in improving access to safe water and adequate sanitation. Her current work explores the barriers

to adequate sanitation in slums in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. Katrina trained as an Environmental Engineer in

Australia, before undertaking her PhD on a risk-based approach to management of decentralised wastewatertreatment systems in Sydneys drinking water catchments. She joined the University of Oxford in 2013 having

previouslybeenalecturer inenvironmental engineering at theUniversity of Surrey.

Dr Richard Bailey

is an Associate Professor in Geochronology and runs the luminescence dating laboratory in the

SoGE, with applied researchfocused onproblems inQuaternary environmental change andhuman evolution. A large

part of his research concerns the modelling electron population dynamics in quartz (relevant to luminescence

dating). Heis interested moregenerallyinenvironmentalmodelling and also works on, for example,themodelling of

sand transport bywind.

David Bradley is Ross Professor of Tropical Hygiene Emeritus at the London School of Hygiene and TropicalMedicine and a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at OUCE. He is a physician, communicable disease epidemiologist and

zoologist. After studies at Cambridge and London he lived and worked in East Africa - Tanzania and Uganda - for

ten years and has continued to carry out research there, also in India, Bangladesh, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Kenya,

and the UK as well as making shorter working visits to many other countries. After initial work on community

pathogenesis, epidemiology and the public health importance of schistosomiasis he worked on domestic water

supply and health in East Africa, on Mycobacteriumulcerans, and the theoretical basis of tropical public health. He

devisedthenow generally adopted functional classification of water- related diseases.His current workis onWASH

in relation to health in Africa, small water bodies in the UK, and WASH policy. He has advised the WHO, DFID, the

World Bank, and ICDDR,B on public health and research policy. He was President of the Royal Society of Tropical

Medicine and Hygiene and has an Honorary DSc from the University of Leicester. [His office is in the ZoologyDepartment, RoomTinbergen E103, email: [email protected]].

Professor MikeEdmunds is Visiting Professor in Hydrogeology. He has worked most of his career he was Senior

Research Scientist with the British Geological Survey. His research over 45 years been applied in the fields of

groundwater quality (UK and overseas), hydrogeochemical processes, trace element studies, isotope hydrology,

palaeohydrology, arid and semi- arid zone hydrology, and science into policy. Most recently his interests have

centred on a) groundwater quality in themajor aquifers of UK and Europe and b) water problems in arid and semi-

arid regions of the Middle East (Cyprus, Jordan, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia), the Sahel countries (Nigeria, Niger, Mali,

Senegal, Sudan, also Ghana). He is currently involved in research into water scarcity in north- west China, focusing

ongroundwater in thedesert basins and onpalaeoclimate and groundwater. Heis also involved in activitiesrelating


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science to policy and capacity development issues involving water in semi- arid regions. He is engaged in

international consultancy work in the water quality sector for various United Nations organisations, notably the

IAEA, UNESCO and DfID, onprojects relatedto groundwater and health and aquifer recharge.

DrDustinGarrick is an Assistant Professor and PhilomathiaChair of Water Policy at McMaster University, Canada.Hespecializes inenvironmentaland water policy. He seeks to understand thedrivers of and policy responses to the

global water crisis by engaging theoretical perspectives on property rights, federalism and policy change and by

using interdisciplinary and comparative methodology. His current research investigates water allocation policy and

river basin governanceinwater stressedregions of Western North Americaand Southeast Australia. Prior to joining

McMaster in January 2014, Dr. Garrick was a research fellow at the University of Oxford (2011- 13) and a

Fulbright Scholar (2010- 11) in Australia, where he remains a research associate of the Centre for Water

Economics, Environment andPolicyat Australian National University.

Professor David Grey

has 35 years of experience in multi- sector water management and development and has

worked in over 60 countries. He has been staff of the World Bank for 26 years, most recently as Senior Water

Advisor, arolewhichincluded oversight of the Banks global water resourcesagendaandchairmanship of the Banks

Water Resources Management Group. His current research interests are in: the roles that water insecurity plays in

poverty, environmental degradation and dispute, and water security plays in growth and stability; the role that

benefit sharing can play in resolving inter- jurisdictional disputes over water at all levels; and the risks that climate

and other changemean for water security, livelihoods and environmental sustainability.Hehas a long-terminterest

in theinstitutional and incentivestructuresfor improving theperformanceof water management and water service

delivery.

Professor JimHall FREng

is Director of the Environmental Change Institute, Professor of Climate andEnvironmental

Risks in the School of Geography and the Environment, a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Engineering

Science and fellow of Linacre College. His research focuses upon management of climate- related risks in

infrastructure systems, in particular relating to flooding, coastal erosion and water scarcity. He moved to the

University of Oxford in 2011 having previously held academic positions in Newcastle University and the University

of Bristol.

Dr Rob Hope

heads the Water Programme at the Smith School for Enterprise and Environment and is a Research

Lecturer in SoGE. He is a development economist whose research empirically examines the relationship between

water and development. His research focuses on understanding trade-offs, choices and outcomes in balancing

multiple and competing water users across space and time. This has included two research strands: 1) river

basin/ catchment studies under varying hydrological, institutional and socio- political contexts, and 2) evaluating

determinants of water supply sustainability. He leads an interdisciplinary, cross-departmental research group on

mobile/water for development which seeks to design, test and evaluate innovative applications of mobile

communications technology for water security and poverty reduction in developing countries

(http://oxwater.co.uk).

Dr Jocelyne Hughes

directs the Postgraduate Certificate in Ecological Survey Techniques in the Oxford University

CPD Centre. She gained her first degree in geography from the University of Cambridge and was awarded a

Commonwealth Scholarship to conduct her PhD on riverine plant ecology and hydrology at the University of

Tasmania. Her current research is investigating plant-water relationships at Marley Fen in WythamWoods; and she

co-supervises Thames Water sponsored research on the ecological functionality of a floating reedbed at Farmoor


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Reservoir. Jocelyne has conducted research on the ecology, hydrology and conservation of wetlands in Australia,

Antarctica, Tunisia, Guatemala and the UK. She has held university lectureships at the University of Melbourne and

University of Reading,and isatrusteeof theOxfordshireNatureConservationForum.

Dr David Johnstone has 50 years of practical experience in the water and wastewater sector in the UK andoverseas in over 30 countries, particularly in Latin America, South East Asia and the Middle East. He originally

trained as a chemist, with a PhD in Physical Chemistry. In his career he worked with Thames Water Authority, Sir

WilliamHalcrow and Partners, and the Water ResearchCentre before becoming an independent consultant. Hehas

worked on the strengthening of the operational and managerial capacity of developing world water utilities.

Recently he served as Consultant to the United Nations Taskforce on Wastewater contributing to the

establishment of aSustainable Development Goal for Water to replace the MillenniumDevelopment Goal for Water

and Sanitationwhich expirein2015. Dr Johnstone is a Member of the Court of the Worshipful Company of Water

Conservators.

Dr CatharinaLandstromcompleted her PhD in Theory of Science and Research in her native Sweden. Her researchis in the field of Science and Technology Studies including investigation of environmental modelling, up- stream

public engagement andthe role of environmental expertisein decisionmaking. She has previouslyworkedat SOGE

on 'Environmental knowledge controversies: The case of flood risk management'. After the completion of this

project in2010 she moved to theUniversity of East Angliato work, at first, ina project on climate changescience,

policy, risk and uncertainty and later in a European project on the geological disposal of nuclear waste. In April

2014 she returned to the School for apost inthe MaRIUS project ondrought and water scarcity.

Dr Christine McCulloch

graduated in geography from KCL/LSE before gaining a Fulbright scholarship for study at

Oberlin College, Ohio. Five years of lecturing in the University of London followed, first at Goldsmiths and then at

Queen Mary Colleges, before she joined the senior management of theNatural Environment Research Council. Herfirst thesis (Masters) explored the history of ideas about rivers. During a long career break, she taught geography

in secondary schools before joining the Economic and Social Research Council to lead research support in politics,

economics and geography. Then she completed her Oxford DPhil in2005 onthepolitical ecologyof dams inthe UK

before working on a multi- national, EU- funded research project on the sustainability of the Dead Sea region.

Christineworks onthepoliticsof water resourcedecision- making as anOUCEResearchAssociate. She is a member

of the British DamSociety and lives with her hydrologist husband inawater tower onthebank of the River Thames.

Prof Edmund Penning-Rowsell OBE

is a geographer by discipline, taking his PhD from University College

London. His research interests are the political economy of major hazards and how this affects decisions about

investment in hazard mitigation. He has more than 40 years experience of research and teaching in the floodhazard field, analysing floods and investment in flood alleviation, river management, water planning, and landscape

assessment. His focus is on the social impact of floods, and the policy response from regional, national and

international organisations.Edmund foundedtheFlood Hazard ResearchCentre at MiddlesexUniversity in1970. He

was twicetheChair of theDefra/Environment Agency Advisory Group onFlood and Coastal DefenceResearchand

Development (2004/ 5), and was awarded the O.B.E. by the Queen in May 2006 for services to flood risk

management. Since 2012 he has had research papers published in Environment and Planning C (twice), the

Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, theGeographical Journal,The International Journal of River

Basin Management, Area, Foresight, Natural Hazards, Environmental Science & Policy and Climate Risk

Management.


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MichaelRouseCBEworks as an independent international consultant on institutional governance andregulation in a

number of countries, including Ghana, China and Malaysia. He was Head of the Drinking Water Inspectorate in

London during the period 1973- 2003 with responsibility for the enforcement of drinking water quality standards,

the investigation of incidents and independent reporting. As one of the three UK regulators he worked closely with

his regulatory colleaguesin OFWAT and theEnvironment Agency. He workedat theWater ResearchCentre (WRC)in the UK for nineteen years. He worked on policy and operational research aspects in a number of areas including

lead service pipes, water distribution leakage control, sewage sludge disposal, investigation of the structural

integrity of sewerage systems and hydraulic analysis of sewerage networks. He set up the Swindon Laboratory in

1982 initially working on the rehabilitation of water and sewerage systems. This led to the development of the

concept of asset management planning for water systems. He was Managing Director of WRC from 1984- 1993

and isthepast President of theInternational Water Association.

Julie Self

is a senior Water Policy Advisor with the Government of Alberta in Canada and the co- chair of the

"Cumulative Effects Management Association" for northern Alberta. She has a background in both business and

policy, with water policy experience inCanada, Australia, and Zambia. As an advisor with theGovernment of Albertashe has contributed to numerous water resource management policies and led the development of a provincial

wetland management policy.Her primary focus isonenergydevelopment- relatedwater policy.In 2011- 2012, she

was the lead provincial consultation advisor and intergovernmental policy advisor on the Joint Canada/Alberta

ImplementationPlanfor Oil Sands Environmental Monitoring, between theGovernment of Canadaandthe Province

of Alberta. More recently, she led a teamof scientists and regulatory specialists to develop a policy to managethe

liability and environmental effects associated tailings produced in thecourseof oil sandsmining in northernAlberta.

She is experienced in provincial and intergovernmental environmental policy development and legislation analysis,

providing strategic advice on water- and other environmental policy to government executives, and managing

political approval and high- profile multi- stakeholder consultation processes. She has obtained masters degrees in

International Development andWater Science, Policy, andManagement.

Dr Troy Sternberg is a geographer researching desert environments and societies. His current focus is on how

climate hazards impact landscapes and people across Asian drylands. Troy's DPhil on the changing pastoral

environment in Mongolia formed the basis for pioneering research in the Gobi desert. His work investigates how

climate, drought, extreme cold and environmental transition affect the physical landscape, human well- being and

state policy in Mongolia and China. He is now integrating South Asian and Middle Eastern arid zones with the Gobi

to develop a continent- wide perspective on climate, environmental and social change in Asian desert and dryland

regions. Troy is organising the 3rd Oxford Interdisciplinary Desert Conference to be held at the School in April

2015.

DrAbiStone isaLecturer at theUniversity of Manchester. She completedher DPhil inthe School of Geography and

the Environment before taking up a post- doc in the School. Her research focuses on the dynamics of dryland

systems, including environmental change, landscape dynamics and groundwater resources. She is interested in

these processes and dynamics over a range of timescales from Quaternary glacial- interglacial cycles to recent

decades. Her research addresses two broad themes: (i) late Quaternary (~250,000 years) landscape dynamics

using geoproxies(including sanddunes, water- lainsediments andfluvial tufa and applyingOSLandU-seriesdating),

(ii) the use of chemical tracers as novel archives of groundwater recharge and palaeomoisture conditions in the

unsaturated zone.


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Prof Richard Washington is Professor of Climate Science. He has degrees from the University of Natal and

University of Oxford and taught at the University of Natal and University of CapeTownduring the 1980s and early

1990s. He has been a member of the World Climate Research Program CLIVAR Africa panel (VACS) for the last

three years;VACSserves as thescientific steering group for African climate science.

Prof Paul Whitehead

is Visiting Professor of Water Science. He has degrees from Loughborough, Manchester and

Cambridge and has over 35 years of experienceof hydrology, water quality and ecologywithparticular expertise in

developing linked land and water models. He has been an advisor to EA, DEFRA and NERC on many research

programmes and was on the Executive Committee of the EU research project Euro- limpacs which investigated

impacts of climate change on ecosystems across Europe and North America. Since 2010, Paul has been the

Director of theNERCs Macronutrients Programme.Heteacheswater quality issues andenvironmental modelling.


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APPENDIX2:COREMODULES

ModuleTitle:CLIMATE CATCHMENTPROCESSES

MichaelmasTerm

Moduleleader:DrSimonDadson

Teaching staff: Dr Simon Dadson (SD), Prof RichardWashington (RW), Dr Abi Stone(AS), Andrew Dansie(AD)

Modulerationale

The aimof the module is to provide an understanding of basic processes affecting the catchment hydrological cycle,

and its variability: inputs, internal processes, outputs. The module begins with a description of thegeneral circulation

of the atmosphere, key modes of climate variability such as ENSO, and how these control the regional climate

regimes and variability. This is followed by lectures covering the fundamentals of catchment- scale climate drivers:

precipitation and evaporation. Next, the physical hydrology of catchment is covered: hillslope processes, channel

hydrology, groundwater flowsandresidence times.

Teachingapproach

The module will comprise lectures, class discussions, group work and student presentations. Eight lectures and/or

practicals of approximatelytwo hours duration will begiven, withdiscussiontime included withineachlecture, whereappropriate. A group-work program will run between weeks three and six and students are expected to present

results fromthis work in class in sixth week. Handouts of the lecture slides will be given at the beginning of each

lecture, or sent electronically to students in advance of the lecture, along with relevant further-reading lists. Where

necessary,students will begiven short preparatory reading lists at least three daysprior to certainlectures.


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Moduleoutline

CLASS DESCRIPTION LECTURER

1

TheGeneralCirculationandClimateVariability

RW

The general circulationof the atmosphere. Climatology of the tropics, sub-tropics, mid-

latitude andpolar regions. Seasonal variations inclimate. The influence of thegeneral

circulation onglobal andregional patterns of rainfallandevaporation. Ocean-atmosphere

interactions. Major mechanisms driving variability inthe generalcirculation (inc.ENSOand

NAO). Regional example