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1. Climate and Environment - natural

MODULE 1: ENVIRONMENT ecosystems that must be balanced
AND SUSTAINABLE - Also known as environmental sustainability
- Protecting nature and natural resources
DEVELOPMENT
● Sustainable - derived from the Latin Production of Energy - the utilization of natural
sustinere (to hold, sub, under) resources for consumption;
- Sustain can mean maintain, support, a. Non-renewable resources
or endure Examples are the usage of coal, oil, and natural gas
- Defined as meeting the needs of the b. Renewable resources
present without compromising the Examples are wind, water current, and sunlight
ability of future generations to meet
theirs 2. Economic Development - the fair progress;
the process by which economies change from
● The desired result of sustainable ones where the majority of people have very
development is to create a society where few resources and options
living conditions and resources are used to - Also known as economic sustainability
continue to meet human needs without
undermining the integrity and stability of the Smarter System
natural system - Finding effective solutions for hunger and
poverty in the world
Random Facts: Economics is the study of how societies use their
1. Forests are a habitat for around 80% of the resources, and when combined with the concept of
species living on land sustainable development, it focuses on attaining
2. Reforestation helps restore lost habitat; economic growth, which is only sustainable and
supports biodiversity recovery improves our quality of life and environment
3. It’s estimated that over 15 billion trees are
cut down each year, around 100,000 square 1. Creates fair distributions - refers to the
km of forest equitable allocation of resources,
opportunities, or burdens among individuals
or groups
Benefits of Reforestation for Climate Change - Emphasizes fairness and impartiality
- Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the 2. More sustainable products
atmosphere
- An effective way to reduce the concentration Economic Sustainability
of CO2 - Strives to promote those activities through
- Reduce carbon emissions, slow global which long-term economic growth can be
warming, and improve the world’s climate achieved without harming the environmental,
social, and cultural aspects of the community

3. Social Progress/Sustainability - equal

opportunities
- Also known as social sustainability
- Human rights and social justice

Sociological - concerning the development,

structure, and functioning of human society

Socio - socius (companion)

Social and Economic Impacts of the Water Crisis
- Water shortages cause social conflicts “Man’s potential can also be nurtured.”
- Water is an expensive commodity. 1. Systematic community participation
Inadequate water availability increases the 2. Strong civil society, including government
risk of water-related diseases 3. Commonly accepted standards of honesty
(tolerance, compassion, forbearance, and
love)
4. Gender equality
THREE PILLARS OF SUSTAINABILITY
SYSTEMS THINKING ● Linear Thinking – people often believe
● Systems thinking - a holistic approach that problems have one cause and one solution.
focuses on the different parts of a system and ● Short-term Focus - focusing on quick fixes
how they influence one another within a or what’s politically popular, not long-term
whole. solutions.
● Example: ● Lack of coordination - departments and
Flooding is a major problem in many parts of the sectors work in isolation, not as a system.
Philippines. ● Lack of Systems Education - people or
Solution, the Philippine government and leaders were not trained to think in systems.
society have taken a multi-sectoral and systems- ● Blame Culture - Systems thinking requires
based approach to address the growing problem of collaboration and learning.
floods. Rather than focusing only on emergency ● Complexity Fatigue - Systems are messy
response, the country has shifted toward prevention, and complex, and people can feel
integration, and resilience building. overwhelmed.
● Resistance to Change - people and
IMPORTANCE OF SYSTEMS THINKING institutions are comfortable with how things
● Environmental integrity - Action in one area are, even if it is broken or not good.
can cause consequences in others. (e.g.,
deforestation leading to flooding and climate BENEFITS OF SYSTEMS THINKING
change) ● Holistic Problem Solving - looks at the
● Social equity - environmental and economic whole system rather than isolated parts;
problems affect poor and marginalized people prevents “band-aid” solutions that cause new
the most. problems.
● Economic Viability - economic growth must ● Long-Term Impact - Focuses on sustainable
be balanced to be truly sustainable. outcomes, not short-term fixes, and considers
future consequences of today’s actions.
FOUR KEYS OF SYSTEMS THINKING CONCEPTS ● Better Decision-Making - Helps leaders to
● Interconnectedness - core principle of understand trade-offs and interdependencies.
systems thinking; all parts are linked, and ● Equity and Inclusiveness - Recognising
changes in one part will affect other parts. how different groups are affected by the
When ignored, we solve one issue and same system differently.
unknowingly create another issue. ● Increased Resilience - Builds systems that
● Feedback loop - a cycle where a system’s can adapt and recover from shocks and
output influences the input, creating a loop of supports risk reduction and adaptive
cause and effect. planning.
○ Reinforcing feedback loop - makes ● Effective Resource Use - avoid waste by
situations grow in a good or bad way. coordinating efforts across sectors.
○ Balancing Feedback loop - resist ● Encourages Collaboration - promotes
change and try to keep the system shared responsibility.
stable or balanced. ● Promotes Innovation - Helps generate
● Causal relationships (cause and effect over creative solutions by seeing new connections
time) - occur when one thing causes another. and encourages experimentation and
This means understanding how events in one learning.
part of the system lead to effects in another. ● Supports Sustainable Development Goals
● Holistic perspective - means looking at the (SDGs) - Helps align multiple SDGs at once
whole system, not the individual parts. Seeing (e.g., clean water, health, cities, and climate
the bigger picture. action).

THE ROLES OF ENGINEERS IN

BARRIERS OF SYSTEMS THINKING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
 ROLES OF ENGINEERS IN SUSTAINABLE
● Sustainable Development - meeting our DEVELOPMENT
needs now without stopping future ● Protecting the environment - reducing
generations from meeting their own needs. pollution from factories, designing better
waste management systems, making sure
PILLARS OF SUSTAINABILITY construction projects do not harm nature and
● Environmental Sustainability - protecting the environment, and creating products that
nature and natural resources. use less energy.
● Economic Sustainability - Making sure ● Developing clean and renewable energy -
progress helps people earn and live better engineers work to replace fossil fuels with
lives. clean sources that do not pollute the air. (e,g,
● Social Sustainability - Human rights and solar power, wind power, hydropower)
social justice. ● Building sustainable cities and
infrastructure - designing energy-efficient
Engineering - use of science and math to solve buildings, improving public transport and
problems. They design and build things like roads, better roads, and planning urban areas to
machines, buildings, and energy systems. They are reduce overcrowding.
problem-solvers, they design new systems, fix old ● Using resources wisely - they design
problems, and find ways to improve things. products that use fewer raw materials, last
longer, and can be recycled and reused.
RESPONSIBILITY OF AN ENGINEER ● Mitigating climate change - engineers
● They must consider the long-term impact of develop technologies and systems that lower
their work. They are responsible for ensuring greenhouse gas emissions, including:
that their design and innovation are safe for ○ Carbon capture and storage - trapping
both people and the environment. carbon dioxide from the air and storing
it safely underground.
TYPES OF ENGINEERS THAT HELP ○ Low-emission construction materials -
SUSTAINABILITY using eco-friendly building materials
● Civil engineers - build roads, bridges, and that produce less CO2
water systems. ○ Climate-resilient infrastructure -
● Environmental Engineers - Help protect designing buildings that can withstand
nature and clean water or air. extreme weather.
● Mechanical Engineers - work on machines ○ Environmental monitoring tools - using
and energy systems. data and sensors to track pollution.
● Electrical and Software Engineers - Make ● Helping people and communities -
energy-saving systems and smart Engineers improve people’s lives by providing
technology. clean drinking water and sanitation, building
HOW ENGINEERS PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE safe housing, supplying electricity to rural
DEVELOPMENT areas, and improving access to healthcare
● Engineers are positioned to make a and education.
difference by designing environmentally ● Working responsibly and ethically -
friendly solutions as the world faces engineers follow safety and environmental
environmental challenges. rules, make ethical decisions that avoid harm
to people, work together with governments,
IMPORTANCE OF SUSTAINABLE ENGINEERING and think about future generations.
● Engineers can promote sustainable
development by designing innovative
solutions that reduce waste and decrease the
impact on the environment.
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