The Economics of Land Degradation (ELD) Initiative is launching a free Massive, Open, Online Course (MOOC).
The course, which will run from 2 March through 17 May, will focus on how to assess the economic benefits of land as a first step towards preventing degradation. It is being organized by the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) and giz│Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH.
The negative consequences of land degradation affect us all, both directly and indirectly, through food insecurity, pests, reduced availability of clean water, increased vulnerability to climate change, biodiversity loss and much more. Adopting sustainable land management can secure environmental services, increase food security and alleviate poverty.
The course will introduce methods of economic analysis and valuation that can help to manage land sustainably and efficiently. Students will learn problem-solving techniques using such economics approaches and methods as:
This 12-week online course will use traditional teaching materials — such as videos, readings and case studies — as well as an online learning room with interactive tools. The aim is to build a vibrant learning community focused on co-creating solutions.
Students should expect a workload of 3-5 hours per week.
Participants will receive an ELD-badge upon successful completion of the course. Participants who hand in all assignments, participate in peer-reviewing, and achieve a grade of at least 90% will receive a certificate from UNU-INWEH.
Anyone can register; the only prerequisite is an interest in solving one of the most important challenges facing the world’s population in the next few decades.