First year at Dresden University of Technology: Module 2

Forest related development and land use policy

 

Course objectives: (I) Diagnose and evaluate the development of social systems as to their integration in ecosystems as well as their historical dimensions. (II) Apply instruments for sociological analysis as well as explanatory models. (III) Recognize political structures and their mode of functioning at different levels and their interconnectedness in areas of policy development, land use, forestry, environmental protection and nature conservation. (IV) Plan the application of political instruments and to assess their effects.

 

Course contents: The emphasis is placed on models and theories for explaining socio-economic, land use, environmental and particularly forest-related developmental processes. The explanatory concepts involve historical, sociological, economic and cultural aspects with the special focus on tropical regions, on the basis of which development-oriented potentials of control are identified. The development models are the framework for policy and process analyses in tropical countries. They focus on forest, landscape and environment, as well as on the detailed analysis of forest-political and conservation-political instruments such as international conventions, financing instruments, land reforms, land law, environmental law and forest law, taxes and other transfer services, state resources benefits, loan systems and decentralization. Moreover, processes of institutional changes and the involvement of various stakeholders are elucidated, and their effects assessed. The political and institutional framework of development is projected onto the various levels. Selected forest-and nature conservation-political instruments are allocated to these levels which are explained by examples.

 

Teaching and leaning methods: 2 hrs/wk Lecture, 2 hrs/wk Seminar

 

Examination: The credits are acquired after passing the module examination. The module examination consists of a seminar paper (30 hours) and an oral examination (20 minutes).

 

Competences acquired: The student is able to diagnose and evaluate the development of social systems as to their integration in ecosystems as well as their historical dimensions. He or she is able to independently apply instruments for sociological analysis as well as explanatory models. Student can recognize political structures and their mode of functioning at different levels and their interconnectedness in areas of policy development, land use, forestry, environmental protection and nature conservation. The student is able to plan the application of political instruments and to assess their effects.