What is Environment and Resource Management (ERM)?

The Master’s programme in Environment and Resource Management is all about dealing with environmental change and resource depletion. Environmental problems are defined as anthropogenic disturbances of the relationships between the environment and society as perceived by certain groups, organizations or institutions. In other words, we regard environmental problems as societal problems. A growing need is emerging for versatile environmental experts who can address local risk issues in addition to global questions such as climate change and the decline in biodiversity.

ERM is a wide-ranging programme so that students understand all aspects of the socio-economic consequences of human intervention on our planet. More than half of the Master’s students in Environment and Resource Management come from abroad.

Multidisciplinary teams
The Master’s programme will train you to work in multidisciplinary teams so that you can be part of an integrated approach towards analysing and solving problems in all sorts of organizations concerned with natural resources and the environment. This can be the private or public sector, national or international.

Skills
Joining the programme will enable you to develop abilities and techniques which allow you to apply your knowledge to societal problems relating to natural resources and the environment. The Master’s will enhance the essential skills you have acquired in your studies to date: reading insightfully, writing effectively and reasoning logically, as well as the capacity to distinguish truth from convention and to investigate and analyse problems and produce independent solutions.

ERM: understanding the causes of environmental change and helping to solve environmental problems

In this programme, environmental problems are often discussed from the perspective of environmental economics, i.e. in terms of the competition for scarce resources and space. Theoretical concepts and analytical tools are applied to practical cases.

Current research topics

• Climate change: What are the most cost-effective ways of adapting to climate change?
• Energy market: The energy market is being liberalized. How will this affect the environment?
• Stakeholders: How can we involve stakeholders in the search for creative solutions to complex environmental problems such as water management and spatial planning?
• Tourism: What are the costs, benefits and potential pitfalls of ecotourism?

More information?

Would you like to receive more information about the Master's programme ERM? 

Masteravond Ecologie, Economie en Milieu - 14 januari 2010
Contact Mathilde Molendijk, coordinator of this Master 
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More information for prospective students