Bachelor of Arts (BA) - The University of Hong Kong

171GEOG1003.Contemporary global environmental issues (6 credits)(This course is also offered to non-BA students for inter-Faculty broadening purposes.)Recent decades have been characterized by increasing awareness of environmental issues and the needto come to terms with them. This course introduces the major global environmental issues and linksthem to contemporary socio-economic and political considerations while maintaining a geographicalperspective. The course will examine, in turn, many of the current major environmental issues relatedto the atmosphere the hydrosphere and the biosphere as well as looking at major threats posed by theenvironment itself in the form of natural hazards. In addition, the issue of the nuclear threat and theever-increasing demand for energy are explored. Finally, the matter of sustained development andintelligent management of the planet for this and future generations is addressed.Assessment: 40% coursework, 60% examination.This course will be offered in the first semester.GEOG1005.Map use, reading and interpretation (6 credits)(This course is also offered to non-BA students for inter-Faculty broadening purposes.)Maps have been used for centuries to describe spatial patterns and portray association and correlation.Recent developments in digital spatial data handling have changed the environment where maps areused. Maps are no longer confined to the printed format. The objective of this course is to provide anintegrated discussion of standard planimetric maps, their uses, and the basic skills necessary to take fulladvantage of these maps. The lectures will cover fundamental concepts underlying differentmapping/analytical techniques, their strengths, limitations, and application settings. The practicals willbe devoted to imparting essential computer operating skills to visualize spatial data.Assessment: 40% coursework, 60% examination.This course will be offered in the second semester.GEOG1006.Natural resources and conservation (6 credits)(This course is also offered to non-BA students for inter-Faculty broadening purposes.)The consumption of the Earth's resources has reached an alarming intensity and variety in modern times.The objective is to survey the major issues related to the tenure of human-nature interactions, theircurrent status as well as the prognosis for the future. A synoptic view on the cultural roots of theexploitative utilization of our planet sets the backdrop for a systematic assessment of the different butinterrelated components of the resource system. Various abiotic, biotic and abiotic-cum-bioticsegments are discussed in the light of their use and misuse, and the possibility for a more enlightenedapproach towards a sustainable future. Adopting a non-technical approach, this course appeals tostudents with training in different science or humanity disciplines.Assessment: 40% coursework, 60% examination.This course will be offered in the second semester.GEOG1011.Introduction to human geography (6 credits)(This course is also offered to non-BA students for inter-Faculty broadening purposes.)This is an introductory course about the processes and spatial patterns of human activities in aglobalizing world. Important subjects to be discussed will include the development of humangeography as a scientific discipline, the processes of globalization, geographies of population, humanperception of nature and society, economic development, agriculture and food resources, politicalgeography, urbanization, and regional development. Emphasis will be placed on the changinginterrelationships between human society and the natural environment in a global context. The purposeis to assist students to better understand the patterns, processes and problems of human-environmentinteraction in our globalizing world.Assessment: 40% coursework, 60% examination.This course will be offered in the first semester.