Water Rights and Global Challenges LAW4182

  • Academic Session: 2024-25
  • School: School of Law
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 4 (SCQF level 10)
  • Typically Offered: Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No

Short Description

This course will cover major themes of current water law and governance. This will include: i) the definition of water rights including customary rights to water; ii) overview of the debates of what type of property regime is, or should be, applicable to water; iii) consideration of how water rights relate to the human right to water; and iv) discussion of how water rights should be reformed in the context of sustainability. This course will include case studies from relevant jurisdictions which highlight the main themes which have been raised.

Timetable

10 x 2 hours seminars per week.

Requirements of Entry

This course is only available to LLB students.

Excluded Courses

None

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

2,000 words, 30% essay which is both summative and formative.

2 hour exam, 70% exam.

Main Assessment In: April/May

Are reassessment opportunities available for all summative assessments? Not applicable for Honours courses

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. Where, exceptionally, reassessment on Honours courses is required to satisfy professional/accreditation requirements, only the overall course grade achieved at the first attempt will contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

Course Aims

This course aims to give students an overview of the major themes of current water law and governance in the context of the global challenges facing water use and availability. The course will use case studies from particular jurisdictions in order to allow students to consider the themes of the course within specific situations.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Explain the difference between various rights to, and in relation to, water;

2. Outline the debates regarding the most appropriate property regime for water;

3. Locate debates about water rights within the context of global issues;

4. Critically analyse issues relating to water rights within a global context;

5. Provide specific examples from case studies and draw on them to construct clear and coherent arguments about water rights issues.

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.