ENV 4040 Sustainable Development & Environmental Awareness

At the end of the 1980s, the world began to analyze that economic development was having irreversible consequences on the environment, natural resources were being destroyed too fast and the socio-economic gap was getting bigger and bigger. At that moment the concept of sustainable development arose, and the world began to work to achieve the balance between economic development, social equity, and ecosystems conservation for present and future generations, on a global scale.

Costa Rica is well known for its conservation policies, and it intends to apply sustainable development concepts, according to international agreements. The country has been a global leader in implementing measures related to conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. Good practices and aspects to improve at the national level will be analyzed.

This is a course that integrates theoretical knowledge, history, and trends on a national and global scale, with practical activities, which allow people to understand the edges of sustainable development. The student develops the ability to integrate social, economic, and environmental aspects to analyze and solve issues, considering the goals of sustainable development. The course includes discussion of current events, case studies, hands-on activities, and field trips. Together, all these experiences sensitize the students to build a better world, not only on a large scale, but also, and even more important, in their personal ways.