Contaminants, Water, and Health (CES)

Project management encompasses all the methods, tools, and techniques used to organize the execution of a project and achieve its objectives, from the initial concept through to completion.

Practical, real-world scenarios will be incorporated through exercises or case studies to help students develop the right habits and learn how to use project management tools.

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The issue of contaminants in the aquatic environment is addressed from a multidisciplinary scientific perspective (chemistry, geochemistry, microbiology, etc.), while also addressing the regulatory aspects:

• Overview of the main contaminants in the aquatic environment: chemical contaminants such as major elements, trace metals, organic micropollutants (pesticides, hydrocarbons, endocrine disruptors, microbiological contaminants, etc.), radioactive elements, and biological contaminants such as microorganisms, pathogenic bacteria, viruses, etc.

• Focus on certain contaminants based on aquatic environments, taking into account, in particular, the hydrochemical characteristics of the water in relation to the geological and environmental contexts of hydrologic and hydrogeologic basins.

• An overview of interactions between microorganisms and organic and inorganic contaminants, and their impact on the fate of contaminants in the aquatic environment; applications in bioremediation.

These lessons are illustrated using examples from current events, such as antibiotic resistance, and/or the speakers’ research topics.

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To present the main processes associated with liquid effluent treatment, as well as the treatment and management of the byproducts generated. This course is based on learning to conduct a comprehensive ecological assessment focused on the challenges of water resource management, wastewater, and wastewater treatment byproducts. The design and implementation of treatment processes are addressed through the context of the urban and industrial water cycle.

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English tutorial course for students in the Water Sciences program who are working toward professional proficiency in English.

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Water lies at the heart of multiple and conflicting issues, visions, and interests. The interplay of these various elements raises questions about integrated water resources management (IWRM) and regulation (particularly through public policy), the balance between collective and private values, and decision-making processes concerning collective issues—in short, governance. Decentralization, water and sanitation services, basin-level management, the European Water Framework Directive, and financial flows, in particular, illustrate various facets of governance.

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This course unit is designed to enable students to gain in-depth knowledge of how aquatic ecosystems function and to identify threats and vulnerabilities in the face of local pressures and climate change.

It will also enable students to 1) understand the specific characteristics of how benthic ecosystems function and the ecological roles of their components, 2) acquire in-depth knowledge of how aquatic ecosystems function, 3) gain knowledge about the impact of chemical and biological contaminants (toxic and pathogenic microalgae), climate change, and human activities on aquatic ecosystems, their functioning, and their components, including the associated socioeconomic repercussions. This course unit will develop monitoring networks for the marine environment and the health of harvested marine animals by addressing mortality issues.

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The EU curriculum is organized into three parts:

1) The Water Cycle and Water Balance
• The Main Water Reservoirs
• The Mechanisms of the Water Cycle
• Water Circulation: From the Global Scale to the Watershed Scale
• Humans: Their Impact on the Water Cycle

2) The Atmospheric Phase of the Water Cycle – Hydrology
• The watershed
• Atmospheric circulation and precipitation
• Evapotranspiration
• Infiltration
• Runoff

3) The underground phase of the water cycle – Hydrogeology
• Porous media and their hydrodynamic properties
• Different types of aquifers
• Piezometric levels and maps

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The “Ocean, Atmosphere, Climate” module aims to present the fundamental principles of atmospheric dynamics and ocean dynamics and offers a critical and well-documented perspective on climate change. The course is based on the analysis of official documents describing global change, well-documented discussions of key issues, and case studies applied to various global contexts.

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This course is divided into two parts: one focusing on surface water and atmospheric water, and the other on groundwater. This course builds on the “Water Cycle” course from the first semester and lays the essential foundation for the specialized courses in hydrodynamics and physical hydrology that will be offered in the second semester. It therefore serves as a transitional course between fundamental knowledge of the water cycle and specialized knowledge related to the study and characterization of surface and groundwater resources.

Lectures combined with integrated tutorials are supplemented by practical exercises in the lab using computers and hydrogeological maps.

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This learning unit focuses on mastering communication tools for the professional world, specifically learning: -(i) how to write a resume, a cover letter, and an email for an unsolicited application; -(ii) how to introduce oneself briefly, either verbally or in writing; -(iii) how to answer interview questions and avoid common pitfalls.

Learning these tools involves a theoretical introduction to them, but also—very quickly—putting them into practice. To this end, students will work in small groups, simulating realistic situations such as job interviews and presentations. The goal is to help them master these various tools as effectively as possible.

All courses are taught in the form of lab sessions, with a particular emphasis on:

• during “reality show”-style sessions, where each participant will have to introduce themselves to the others in less than 3 minutes, will be placed in job-interview scenarios, or will have to submit unsolicited applications or give impromptu presentations.
• On workshops for writing emails, cover letters, and resumes.

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The GIS Practice course consists of training in the use of Geographic Information Systems, covering basic concepts related to geographic information and proficiency in the open-source software QGIS. The majority of the course is devoted to an introduction through a combination of lectures and hands-on exercises. A personalized capstone mapping project allows students, at the end of the course, to apply the concepts they have learned. An introductory lecture by industry professionals provides context for the relevance of GIS approaches in general hydrology.

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Optimized management and protection of water resources (both surface and groundwater) require consideration of water quality. The assessment of the qualitative status of water bodies—particularly in light of current legislative frameworks—is based on specific chemical and microbiological quality criteria, as well as standards tailored to the intended uses of these resources.

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The EU curriculum is organized into five units: 

1. An introduction to the techniques and principles of optical, thermal, and radar remote sensing,
2. An overview of the main data sources (images, altimetry products) and a hands-on exercise in data retrieval,
3. Learning through practice the methods of preprocessing (geometric and radiometric corrections) for optical and radar images, which are frequently used in Geographic Information Systems
4. A series of lectures and hands-on exercises illustrating the value of various types of remote sensing data for hydrology and 
5. The Role of Remote Sensing in Addressing Environmental Issues

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This course unit is organized into the following activities: Getting Started—The R Environment; Structures in R; Input and Output in R; Manipulating Structures in R; Fundamentals of Algorithms; Programming Structures in R; Group Mini-Project: Creating an R function to address a real-world “water” problem

Objectives*:

The course aims to 1) introduce the basics of the interpreted language used in engineering tools (environment, structures, input/output, structure manipulation, graphics, programming), 2) to provide the fundamental theoretical knowledge needed to create their own functions and programs using practical examples in water sciences so that 3) students can independently continue their self-directed learning and develop expertise in R.

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This course is an introduction to quantitative research methods in the social sciences.
It focuses on the use of statistics and the definition of categories to describe the social world, as well as on the objectification of representations.
It offers students the opportunity to put the questionnaire tool into practice by designing a questionnaire, administering it, and analyzing the results.

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English tutorial course for students in the Water Sciences program who are working toward professional proficiency in English.

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This module aims to provide students with a practical understanding of the implementation of IWRM and public participation in water management through an active learning approach.

It is centered on “Cooplage,” a support system for implementing participatory approaches to water management developed by researchers at the UMR GEAU, and the associated Agreenium MOOC, Terr’eau & co.

Students will work in small groups—comprising students from different tracks within the Master’s in Water program—on case studies drawn from the instructors’ ongoing research projects. Learning will take place through the application of certain tools from the “Cooplage” program to their case studies, particularly modeling and participatory simulation in the form of role-playing. To ground their work in real-world context, students will be connected with the stakeholders involved in these case studies. 

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In Water Sciences, the use of probability and statistics for analyzing hydroclimatic and water quality data is essential. Lectures and application-based tutorials will help students brush up on their skills (covering high school and undergraduate-level problems), after which several new concepts will be introduced (including the test of conformity to a distribution).

The course is organized around the following chapters:

1. Elementary Probability Theory, Combinatorial Analysis. (Lecture 1, Tutorial 1)
2. Discrete and continuous random variables. Probability distribution and probability density function. Expectation, variance, covariance. (Lecture 2, Lab 2)
3. Simple Linear Regression (covered in Tutorial 3)
4. Multiple Linear Regression (covered in Tutorial 3)
5. Some Common Probability Distributions (Binomial, Poisson, Normal, Gamma, Gumbel) and Their Applications (Lecture 3, Lab 4)
6. Tests for Membership in a Law (covered in TD5)

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This course module draws on numerous concrete examples presented by environmental specialists and experts working in engineering firms, companies, public-private partnerships (EPICs), or research institutes in the water and environmental sector.                                                                            The course includes a field day dedicated to characterizing the physical properties of watercourses and aquifers, as well as various hydrometric measurement techniques. Specific sessions providing the necessary foundations for analyzing hydrological and hydrogeological data collected in situ will also be offered.

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The module's content is organized into six sections:

1) Introduction by the EU: scientific and operational challenges related to biogeochemical issues and water quality in agricultural watersheds;

2) Physicochemical and hydrological processes that determine the availability and mobility of pesticides in a watershed;

3) TD: modeling tutorials on the transfer of pesticides;

4) The biogeochemical cycle of phosphorus in agricultural systems;

5) Nitrogen cycle and balance in agricultural watersheds;

6) Tutorial: Assessment of the nitrogen balance in a watershed; diagnosis of surface water contamination

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All future Master’s graduates—whether in the “Professional” or “Research” track—must master the tools and conventions of effective scientific writing. Improving one’s scientific writing skills is essential for showcasing one’s work and communicating it to peers, colleagues, clients, and others…

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As part of this course unit, students will apply project planning and estimating the time required for each task, the FFOM matrix and the “sabotage” exercise, risk management, organizing and facilitating meetings, and oral project presentations. Other aspects of project management may be addressed on a case-by-case basis, such as financial management, the role of the project manager, relationships with partners, and the use of tools such as to-do lists, Kanban, shared calendars, etc.

Building on the Project Management course from the first year of the master’s program, the Project Management course in the second year is designed to assess students’ mastery of the skills acquired the previous year and to take them further by focusing on a longer-term project (ranging from a few weeks to a few months), whether individual or group-based, and whether a course project or a personal project.

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Water resources and their management are often discussed in terms of knowledge and principles established in developed countries in temperate zones. However, countries in the Global South—starting with the Mediterranean and Africa—present us with an extreme diversity of social and environmental situations that compel us to significantly adjust our perspectives and question the validity of certain approaches that are too detached from the reality on the ground.

Researchers working primarily in the Global South draw on their practical experiences to examine the unique characteristics of hydrological and geochemical processes in very dry or very humid tropical regions, the consequences of human activity, and the challenges of managing water resources in a sustainable manner, where possible.

A significant amount of time is devoted to the critical analysis of scientific articles dealing with water resources and their management in the Global South.

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The goal of this interdisciplinary course is to give students from various academic tracks who are interested the opportunity to organize an event project on a current topic related to water, in line with their personal commitments, their career goals, societal challenges, and issues surrounding global transitions and changes….

The project is led by the students, from its initial planning through its implementation during the event, with occasional support from the faculty at key stages of the project.

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The objective of this course, offered jointly with AgroParisTech’s specialized post-master’s program in “Water Management,” is to provide students with a background in development with a framework for understanding the challenges and the organization of development projects related to water (drinking water, sanitation, and agricultural water).

This teaching unit alternates between testimonials and insights from experts and professionals in the development sector on water-related issues, and testimonials from learners (enrolled in the specialized Master’s program in Water Management) or students who already have international experience in the fields of water or agriculture.

This course unit is offered as an elective to students in the Master’s program in Water Sciences, subject to a cap on the number of students.

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The objective of this learning unit is to present the current and future impacts on all sectors related to the field of water.

How are climate extremes—such as droughts and floods—changing, and which regions are affected by these extremes? How does this impact groundwater and surface water resources, as well as farmland and irrigation methods?

What are the trends regarding rising sea levels and coastal areas? How does this affect current and future population movements, and what solutions can be proposed for coastal management …?

Through a series of lectures delivered by experts in various fields—covering all tracks of the Master’s in Water program—this course unit will present the latest developments in this area.

Through tutorial and lab sessions, students will work in groups on a specific topic (using an example) that combines climate change with a water-related field, in order to provide a concise overview of the subject. This project will be presented in the form of a mini-seminar and will serve as the basis for the assessment of this course unit.

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