"Watery Anthropocenes"

This course aims at unfolding the relationships between the increased human impact on Earth and changes in the water cycle. To do so we'll navigate along legal frameworks established to protect aquatic ecosystems, transition zones in the shape of wetlands, and current movements to embrace more-than-human entities and debates about environmental personhood.

OUTCOME

- Get to know monitoring and assessment methods used for water management and biodiversity conservation (legal requirements, river health and ecological integrity)

- Examine local restoration projects along the Viennese watershed, meeting different stakeholders, and restoration projects)

- Critically discuss the concept of the Anthropocene based on aquatic ecosystems (natural vs. human-induced),

- Explore non-anthropocentric (more-than-human) ways of thinking

- Regular attendance, come to almost every session

- Active participation in the course

- Read the ecological, legal and cultural texts and contribute to the discussion

- Part of the course will include fieldwork exploring the waterbodies of Vienna with a focus on the Danube -> weatherproof clothing

- Students from other departments or universities will be given a place on the course subject to room capacities.