Study Programmes 2015-2016
ENVT2010-1  
Acquiring and processing environmental data, sustainable development indicators (DPSIR)
Duration :
40h Th, 20h Pr
Number of credits :
Specialised master in environmental management in developing countries5
Lecturer :
Bakary Djaby, Anne-Claude Romain
Coordinator :
Anne-Claude Romain
Language(s) of instruction :
French language
Organisation and examination :
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite :
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Course contents :
Two parts
First section (AC ROMAIN)
Methodological aspects of measurement: - Constraints on environmental measurement - Transversal concepts of integrative indices and the aggregation of several variables - Different steps in arranging proper instrumentation · definition of problems and objectives · choice of parameters to be measured, study of parametric sensitivity · choice of methods of measurement: description of several typical methods · choice of collection instruments depending on various metrological characteristics (error, resolution, reproducibility...) · sampling as part of measurement (utility, strategic choices) · placement of measuring instruments - Organigramme for implementation a measurement protocol
 
Second section (D. BAKARY)
Data processing, based on concrete cases drawn from environmental studies: - formatting of data (coding, missing data, outlier data points, computer files) - choice of means of data handling depending on objectives in the given case - brief and practical presentation of various graphics and mathematical tools (filtering, smoothing curves, harmonic analysis ...) and statistical tools (descriptive statistics, regressions, analysis of variations, factorial analysis...) - methods that are particularly useful in the analysis of environmental data: cases of breaks in sequence in chronological data, mixture of categorical variables and quantitative variables... - exercises in the computer lab based on real environmental problems
Learning outcomes of the course :
Without reviewing fundamental concepts of theory, students will learn enough new material to handle in a concrete manner and based on real examples the collection and handling of environmental data, in order to provide clients with clear, reliable and concise information.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills :
Basic knowledge of physics, mathematics, and statistics.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
Exercises in sampling in the field, statistical development of data using computers and group brainstorming on the construction of a methodological scheme
Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :
Theoretical classes in the amphitheatre,  held in common with students of the "environmental monitoring" option, practical work in the computer lab.
Recommended or required readings :
  Power Point presentations (access via the campus site-cfr below-) and online documents for the "data processing" part 
Assessment methods and criteria :
oral exam on the basis of concrete cases.
written exam for the part "data processing":
Work placement(s) :
Organizational remarks :
Contacts :
Anne-Claude ROMAIN Département des Sciences et Gestion de l'Environnement Université de Liège-Campus d'Arlon Avenue de Longwy, 185 B-6700 ARLON Belgium Tel: 32 (0) 63 23 08 59(0) 63 23 08 5932 (0) 63 23 08 59 Fax: 32 (0)63 23 08 00 acromain@ulg.ac.be


Dr. Bakary DJABY
Senior Scientist
Resilient Dryland Systems - West and Central Africa
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
(ICRISAT)
BP 12404 NIAMEY - NIGER
Tel office +227 20722529+227 20722529+227 20722529 / +227 20722626+227 20722626+227 20722626
Fax +227 20734329
E-mail :b.djaby@cgiar.org


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Items online :
notes
  • Lecture notes are available online via the website of Department of Science and Environmental Management. The students can also use the computers of the computer room of the campus. A password and a login has been communicated to that end.