UNESCO-IHE Lectures

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UNESCO-IHE Lectures

Agenda

Stan Bronson , Executive Director, Florida Earth Foundation, West Palm Beach, Florida
Garth Redfield , Ph.D., Chief Scientist, South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach, Florida
Keith Rizzardi , Esq., Asst. Prof. of Law, St. Thomas University School of Law, Miami Gardens, Florida

PERIOD 1: TUESDAY, May 21, 2013

Lecture 1.1:   Introduction: South Florida Water Management and Water Law
10 min: Redfield, Rizzardi and Bronson - Objectives for the introductory lectures and expectations for students
5 min: Q&A on course structure and goals

Lecture 1.2:   History of Water Management in South Florida: Nature to a Managed System
30 min: Redfield - Eras in the evolution of water management over the last 100 years in South Florida
15 min: Q & A and discussion international examples attempting to deal with past engineering and land-use problems in water                                                management

Lecture 1.3:   Legal Framework of Water Management
30 min: Rizzardi - The legal and regulatory framework for water management in Florida stressing lessons learned. Considers regulation, public works, and preservation to either meet criteria, complete projects or preserve unimpaired ecosystems, all with value disputes and litigation.
10 min: Q & A and discussion of international examples of governmental roles.

PERIOD 2:TUESDAY, May 21, 2013

Lecture 2.1    Competing Demands for Water: Agriculture and Urban Water Supply
20 min: Bronson - A brief history of urban and agricultural water supply is provided in a water management system with competing interests in flood control and environmental needs.
10 min: Q&A and discussion of international examples of competing demands for limited water resources.

Lecture 2.2    Florida’s Everglades Forever Act: Initial Steps towards Restoration
30 min: Redfield -  Phosphorus, water quality and legislative mandates are reviewed and programs to address regional problems are introduced including stormwater treatment areas, best management practices and funding mechanisms.
10 min: Q & A and discussion of international projects for water quality.

Lecture 2.3    Implementing the Clean Water Act in Florida
20 min: Rizzardi - The regulatory push for clean water is reviewed, considering the effectiveness of the ‘hammer’, the variance, the law and the money.
10 min: Q & A and discussion of the Clean Water Act framework as a blessing or a curse when applied to other nations.

PERIOD 3: WEDNESDAY, May 22, 2013

  Lecture 3.1    Comparative Ecosystem Restoration - Kissimmee River and Lake Okeechobee
40 min: Redfield -
A.    The Kissimmee River Restoration will be outlined and reasons for its successful implementation will be highlighted.
B.     Programs designed to restore Lake Okeechobee will be summarized along with challenges facing such a large watershed management project.
15 min: Q & A and discussion of examples of ecosystem restoration and management challenges worldwide.

Lecture 3.2    Innovations in Environmental Planning for the Future
30 min: Rizzardi & Redfield & Bronson
Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Project, CERP, limited progress  
Dispersed Water Storage & Treatment, attempting a ‘Room for the River’ approach
Conservation easements in the Northern Everglades
15 min: Q & A and discussion of new approaches to ecosystem management 

PERIOD 4: WEDNESDAY, May 22, 2013

Lecture 4.1    Global Climate Change and Water Policy Implications
15 min: Redfield - The SFWMD White Paper -  Water supply & salt water intrusion - Flood control - Storms & the coastline
15 min: Rizzardi - The South Florida Climate Change Compact - Local intergovernmental coordination & limits of mitigation - Federal & global failure - The unspoken word: retreat
15 min: Q & A and discussion of examples of international projects addressing climate change adaptation.

Lecture 4.2    Concluding Thoughts
15 min: Bronson and Redfield - Some conclusions and recommendations for study and consideration.
30 min: Open discussion on topics of interest in environmental management - Utility and application of models - Governmental and stakeholder roles - Legal issues

STUDENT INVOLVEMENT
1.      Advance Reading - Lecture materials will be available electronically to all participants by May 1, 2013.
2.      Topics for in-class discussions following each lecture.
Each student should contribute at least one international example from the following general topics related to the lectures:
Nations undoing or struggling with past engineering projects
Instances where nations are struggling with ineffective regulations
Examples of water resources projects that ran out of money or other resources
Instances in which stakeholders drive the governmental decision-making process
Examples of new approaches to ecosystem restoration and management
International projects addressing climate change adaptation

3.      Reception and Poster Session at IHE , TUESDAY EVENING, May 21, 2013
Substantial interaction with students from other nations
Discussion of water resources disputes across the globe
Recognizing the importance of information in long-term problem solving 

FIELD TRIPS

TUESDAY (PM) Law students visit Rijkswaterstaat at Utrecht
Learning objectives:

·         History of water management in the Netherlands

·         Legal context in European Union

·         Tensions between flood control and climate change

WEDNESDAY Afternoon L aw students visit Biesbosch National Park and Room for the River
Learning objectives:

·         Accomodation of nature instead of resistance

·         Understanding the roles of engineering and land acquisition

·         Realizing the financial consequences

·         Legal disputes over Room for the River and the Dutch approach

·         Historic flooding in the region as motivation for park creation

·         Understanding Dutch perspectives on ecosystem protection vs. human uses

 THURSDAY (AM) Law students visit Kinkerdyke (IHE students travel to Tampa / South Florida)
Learning objectives:

·         Windmills as a window into historic insights on reclamation

·         Disputes over competing uses

·         Impact of technology shifts upon water management

THURSDAY (PM) Law students visit Rotterdam
Learning objectives:

·         The importance of dredging and access to the busiest port in Europe

·         Pollution control techniques

·         Futureland, and the tension between civil works project needs and environmental impacts

·         Legal disputes over Futureland and the Dutch approach

THURSDAY PM  Law students visit the Maeslant Barrier
Learning objectives:

 FRIDAY (AM) Law students visit Watersnoodmuseum, Zeeland
Learning objectives:

·         The history of flooding in the Netherlands and construction of the system

·         Insights into the Dutch perspectives on and emphasis of water resource management

·         Legal disputes over the projects and the Dutch approach

 FRIDAY (PM) Law students visit the Delta Project, Zeeland
Learning objectives:

·         Site visit to one of the world’s civil engineering marvels

·         Understanding the massive scale and expense of civil works construction projects

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