The course "Environmental Policies and Laws" is one of the two (2) components comprising the Module "Environmental Policies and Impact Assessment".
It aims to equip students with the broad understanding of the meaning, importance and rationale for having in place strategies that enhance the concept of sustainable development - including those that focus on environmental conservation - all legal, administrative and policy matters relevant to the human and natural environment in its widest sense: air, the human and natural environment in its widest sense: air, water and soil pollution as well as waste management; the conservation of flora and fauna; protected areas and land-use control; development and conservation of the world's non-renewable resources.
The course emphasizes the legal and/or economic aspects of environmental policies, laws and regulations.
Environmental Policy spans the disciplines of law, sociology, engineering, business, public health and more.
Students in RDAE should contextualize the course to find and/or create opportunities that best serve their professional goals.
Specifically, the course the course will pursue the following objectives:
i) To equip students with the understanding of the meaning, and the rationale for global nations to having policies and laws that span all spheres of socio-economic activities without jeopardizing the environment (Ref: UNEP);
ii) To provide students with an overview of the instruments, problems and issues; and
iii) To contextualize the principles and practices learnt to local (regional and national) realities - including a) In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA - under NEPAD); b) Within EAC/COMESA/CPGL and other regional economic communities; and c) Within Rwanda's National development agenda - as envisioned under National VISION 2020/2050, EDPRS 1, 2, &NST1, SPAT/PSTA 1-4; and lastly,
iv) To explore the environmental issues meriting scientific research and innovation where upon graduation, students:
a) Know the basics - a solid understanding of the complexity of environmental issues;
b) See all sides. – able to analyze competing perspectives on the environment, enabling them to be constructive problem solvers in environmental controversies;
c) Care about equity - Environmental policies have different impacts on different populations, including the rich and poor, and current and future generations. Students learn to spot these differences and design policies that promote greater equality;
d) Communicate - Writing projects across the curriculum to express highly specialized ideas from multiple domains in a way that non-specialists can understand and use to guide their actions; and
v) Collaborate effectively – with other students and specialists in other disciplines,learning to problem-solve in groups where not everyone sees eye-to-eye.
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