Water and the South

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.

Scientific objective:

Examining the diversity of water resources (surface and groundwater) in non-temperate regions and their management:

1. Identify the hydrological differences between tropical and temperate regions:
   • geographical features:          

                  - major tropical river basins (Amazon, Congo, Niger, Mekong)

                   - arid and semi-arid regions

• singularities in processes (nature, intensity; time-space) 

2. Adapt observation protocols to these unique environments 

           - fundamental issues regarding the spatial and temporal representativeness of observations,

            - Limitations on the application of interpretation and modeling methods

            - a necessary integration of approaches.

3. Consider the implications of these unique characteristics for resource management (quantity, quality) both now and in the future.

Learning Objective:

1. Gain new insights into the hydrological characteristics of regions in the Global South:

- unique processes (phenomena unknown in temperate zones, or that occur with a different intensity in tropical environments),

- a few orders of magnitude, the uncertainties.

2. Develop critical thinking skills regarding data, field observations (particularly in light of practical challenges with instrumentation), and methods for interpreting and analyzing data.

To critically evaluate the approaches typically developed in temperate zones and, more generally, to take a step back and consider the limitations of these approaches.

3. Integrate human, social, environmental, and technical dimensions into a holistic approach to water resource management.

Understanding of the various components of the hydrological cycle and the methods used to quantify them.

Strong interest in water management issues in the Global South.

Critical thinking.

The written analysis of a scientific article, along with its oral presentation, accounts for half of the final grade. The other half of the grade is based on the evaluation of responses to a series of questions that draw on the contributions of the various researchers involved in the module.

Until last year, classes were conducted entirely in the traditional, in-person format. Starting in the 2020–21 academic year, certain courses will gradually be converted to videos released before the start of each module. Students will be expected to have already watched these videos, which will serve as a starting point for a question-and-answer session between the instructor and the students. This requires a greater personal commitment than simply dozing off at the back of the classroom.