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Governing Antarctica unit (KSA201)

Accessed through computers in University Labs and the Libraries; and also at home. It will only be available to authorised users (enrolled students and teaching/examining staff) who will be issued with a personal identification name and password.

Introduction

Antarctica and the Southern Ocean – valued, protected, understood. This mantra was coined originally by the Australian Antarctic Division (the government department with responsibility for Australian activities in the Antarctic) and was also adopted, with modification, by Antarctica New Zealand (New Zealand’s government department). It reflects the vision of these two countries, and the ideological approach they have to their interests in the Antarctic. It is simple, descriptive and informative. It is what this unit is all about. “Protecting Antarctica” integrates the natural and social sciences to give context to contemporary Antarctic environmental issues. Its objective is to provide a comprehensive, multidisciplinary review of the management and regulation of uses of the continent and surrounding marine environment of the Southern Ocean from the point of view of protecting the natural environment and its values. It includes a series of lectures on geography and environmental sciences, physical sciences, biological sciences, social sciences and humanities. “Protecting Antarctica” incorporates the theme of multiple use management of a globally important region, wherein management involves commercial marine living resource extraction, scientific research, logistics, and tourism and other non-extractive commercial activities. Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are subject to a unique legal regime including an environmental protocol to the 1959 Antarctic Treaty, and this instrument has become the basis upon which all human activity in Antarctica is judged. Completing the unit will equip students from a wide variety of fields with the ability to view the Antarctic from a more holistic perspective. Your new knowledge will assist you to understand the various values of the region, how they – and the areas they apply to – become known, then valued, then protected.

Summary

Unit name Governing Antarctica
Unit code KSA201
Credit points 12.5
College/School Sciences and Engineering
Institute for Marine & Antarctic Studies
Discipline Oceans Ice and Climate
Coordinator Professor Jeffrey McGee
Available as an elective? Yes
Delivered By University of Tasmania
Level Intermediate

Sustainable Development Goals

The Unit Coordinator has identified that this unit aligns with the following UN Sustainable Development Goals. We welcome your thoughts and feedback on the alignment of the unit with these goals.

Availability

Specific information on 2027 unit availability will be available in August

Learning Outcomes

  • Demonstrate a broad understanding of the geographical scope and characteristics of the Antarctic and understand what activities are conducted there that make it vulnerable.
  • Interpret the vulnerabilities of the Antarctic in order to identify options to avoid potentially harmful practices.
  • Analyse a wide range of legal and regulatory instruments that help to manage human use.
  • Critically assess the effectiveness of specific policy and legal approaches to solving human use problems.

Fee Information

2027 fee information will be available in August.

Requisites

Prerequisites

KSA101 OR HIR101 OR HPP101

Teaching

Teaching Pattern

2 hour lecture + 1 hour tutorial. Both lecture and tutorial will be available synchonously for online students.

AssessmentAssignment (30%)|Short Answer Questions (30%)|Examination (40%)
TimetableView the lecture timetable | View the full unit timetable

Textbooks

Required

See MyLo site for Readings

Recommended

See MyLo site for Readings

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