Summer 1999 Sustainable Development Fieldcourse:
Africa: Wildlife, Ecotourism, & Sustainable Development
Learning Objectives
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Summer 1999 Sustainable Development Fieldcourse: Africa: Wildlife, Ecotourism, & Sustainable Development Learning Objectives |
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Students in this course will learn basic ecological concepts needed to understand the tropical dry forest, savanna, and grassland habitats of the Hwange area. They will observe and study the wildlife of the area, including the large mammals such as elephants and giraffes that draw tourists. Ecological science as applied to sustainable management of the natural resources of the area will be emphasized. This content supports its designation for 1 unit of science credit.
Students in this course will also learn basic principles of economics related to sustainable development. These include the process of economic development, growth, eco-tourism, community-based conservation, scarcity, resource allocation by markets and governments, market failure, externalities, and tools for internalization. Field visits and speakers will allow them to connect theory with reality and practice in Zimbabwe as a developing nation, observe wildlife management in the context of regional development, assess the returns that accrue to local regions from wildlife, and articulate regional plans for "sustainability" of economic development built upon natural resources including flora and fauna. This content supports the designation of 1 unit of social science credit.