Abstract
Sustainability awareness plays a crucial role for the practical implementation of sustainable development strategies in a globalised world. Universities have a special responsibility to take over this task within their educational mission according to SDG 4 on Higher Education and Life Long Learning. Subject of the contribution is the upgraded study course “Ecological Engineering” at the University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal, Germany. The scientific and educational approach for the development of the upgraded curriculum is highlighted in this paper, starting with the methodology, followed by the description of the steps to an integrated resources management under the Nexus approach as framework. The main objective of the upgrade and revision was the intention to unlock the full potential of the study course for the practical implementation of sustainability for a resource efficient future. In this frame, the further scope of this paper is to highlight how the concept of Ecosystem Services, in the frame of Ecological Engineering and the Nexus approach with consideration of Material Flow Analysis, can facilitate sustainable development through its incorporation into an engineering curriculum.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Biggs, J. B., & Collis, K. F. (1982). Evaluating the quality of learning: The SOLO taxonomy. New York: Academic Press.
Biggs, J. B., & Tang, C. (2007). Teaching for quality learning at university (3rd ed.). Maidenhead: McGraw Hill Education, Open University Press.
Boons, F., Spekkink, W., & Mouzakitis, Y. (2011). The dynamics of industrial symbiosis: a proposal for a conceptual framework based upon a comprehensive literature review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 19(9), 905–911.
Braungart, M., & McDonough, W. (2002). Cradle to cradle. Remaking the way we make things. New York: North Point Press.
Brunner, P. H., & Rechberger, H. (2005). Practical handbook of material flow analysis. Boca Raton: Lewis Publishers.
Charlesworth, S. M., Warwick, F., & Lashford, C. (2016). Decision-making and sustainable drainage: Design and scale. Sustainability, 8, 782. doi:10.3390/su8080782.
Chertow, M. (2007). “Uncovering” industrial symbiosis. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 11, 11–30.
Constanza, R., d’Arge, R., de Groot, R., Farber, S., Grasso, M., Hannon, B., et al. (1998). The value of the world’s ecosystem services and natural capital. Ecological Economics, 25, 3–15.
Daly, H. (1990). Toward some operational principals of sustainable development. Ecological Economics, 2(1), 1–6.
David, F. (1993). Strategic management (4th ed.). New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing Company.
de Strasser, L., Lipponen, A., Howells, M., Stec, S., & Bréthaut, C. (2016). A methodology to assess the water energy food ecosystems nexus in transboundary river basins. Water, 8, 59. doi:10.3390/w8020059.
Enquete-Kommission. (1994). Die Industriegesellschaft gestalten- perspektiven für einen nachhaltigen Umgang mit Stoff- und materialströmen. Bonn: Bundesdrucksache.
Helms, M. M., & Nixon, J. (2010). Exploring SWOT analysis: Where are we now? A review of academic research from the last decade. Journal of Strategy and Management, 3(3), 215–251.
Hoff, H. (2011). Understanding the nexus. Background paper for the Bonn 2011 conference: The water, energy and food security nexus. Stockholm Environment Institute, Stockholm. http://sei-international.org/publications?pid=1977.
Hovardas, T. (2015). Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (swot) analysis: A template for addressing the social dimension in the study of socio-scientific issues. Aegean Journal of Environmental Sciences (AEJES), 1, 1–12.
Huelsmann, S., & Ardakanian, R. (Eds.). (2014). Advancing a Nexus approach to the sustainable management of water, soil and waste (white book). Dresden: UNU-FLORES.
Ishikawa, K. (1990). Introduction to quality control. ISBN 4-906224-61-X OCLC 61341428.
ISO 14040:2006 Environmental management: Life cycle assessment—Principles and framework.
Johnson, C., & Hayward, J. (Eds.). (2015). Circular economy and curriculum development in higher education—Briefung notes, case studies and illustrative resources, version 1. Ellen MacArthur Foundation, United Kingdom.
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development (Vol. 1). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Kristensen, P. (2004). The DPSIR framework. Paper presented at the September 27–29, 2004 workshop on a comprehensive/detailed assessment of the vulnerability of water resources to environmental change in Africa using river basin approach. UNEP Headquarters, Nairobi, Kenya.
Lammerant, J., Peters, R., Snethlage, M., Delbaere, B., Dickie, I., & Whiteley, G. (2013). Implementation of 2020 EU biodiversity strategy: Priorities for the restoration of ecosystems and their services in the EU. Report to the European Commission. ARCADIS (in cooperation with ECNC and Eftec).
Lammerant, J., Peters, R., Snethlage, M., Delbaere, B., Dickie, I., & Whiteley, G. (2014). Implementation of 2020 EU biodiversity strategy: Priorities for the restoration of ecosystems and their services in the EU. Report to the European Commission. ARCADIS (in cooperation with ECNC and Eftec). http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/biodiversity/comm2006/pdf/2020/RPF.pdf.
Millenium Ecosystem Assessment. (2005). Ecosystems and human well-being: Synthesis. Washington, DC: Island Press. ISBN 1-59726-040-1.
Mooney, H. A., Postel, S., Schneider, S. H., Tilman, D., & Woodwell, G. M. (1997). Ecosystem services: Benefits supplied to human societies by natural ecosystems. In: Issues in ecology, Nr. 2.
O’Byrne, D., Dripps, W., & Nicholas, K. A. (2015). Teaching and learning sustainability: An assessment of the curriculum content and structure of sustainability degree programs in higher education. Sustainability Science, 10, 43–59. doi:10.1007/s11625-014-0251-y.
Odum, H. T., Siler, W. L., Beyers, R. J., & Armstrong, N. (1963). Experiments with engineering of marine ecosystems. Publication of the Institute of Marine Science of the University of Texas, 9, 374–403.
OECD. (1993). OECD core set of indicators for environmental performance reviews e a synthesis report by the group on state of the environment: Environmental monographs (Vol. 83, p. 1993). Paris: Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD).
Porter, M. E. (1986). Competition in global industries. Boston, MA: Harvard BusinessSchool Press.
Schettkatt, R. (2009). Analyzing rebound effects, Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, No. 177, January 2009, ISSN 0949-5266.
United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: the 2030 agenda for sustainable development, United Nations—Sustainable Development knowledge platform, September 25, 2015.
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe UNECE. (2014). UNECE task force on water-food-energy-ecosystems, 2014. Water-food-energy-ecosystems nexus for reconciling different uses in transboundary river basins—UNECE water convention draft methodology.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (2010). Sharing water, sharing benefits: Working towards effective transboundary water resources management, a graduate/professional skills-building worksbook. Compiled and edited by Prof. Aaron T. Wolf.
von Hauff, M., Isenmann, R., & Müller-Christ, G. (2012). Industrial ecology management: Nachhaltige Entwicklung durch Unternehmensverbünde. Wiesbaden: Springer Gabler. ISBN 978-3-8349-2361-5.
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the people who technically supported the revision of the study course and the re-accreditation process. Special thanks go also to the students who supported with constant feedback the improvement of the course content.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Schneider, P., Lüderitz, V. (2018). Integration of Ecosystem Services as Part of the Nexus Approach into the Applied Teaching of Ecological Engineering. In: Leal Filho, W. (eds) Handbook of Sustainability Science and Research. World Sustainability Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63007-6_22
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63007-6_22
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-63006-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-63007-6
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)