This course provides an introduction to key environmental concepts, current environmental challenges, and their impact on human health and well-being. Learners will explore different types of environments and understand how environmental agents—such as air and water pollutants—affect public health. The course also covers methods for estimating the burden of disease attributable to environmental factors. Emphasis is placed on the interconnectedness of environmental issues with the broader goals of sustainable development. By the end of the course, learners will have a foundational understanding of how environmental quality influences health outcomes and why sustainability is essential for long-term human and ecological well-being.
Environmental Issues, Policies, and Practice
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level
Recommended experience
3 weeks to complete
at 10 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
Build toward a degree
What you'll learn
Understand how environments interact with human systems. Identify key issues and explore their impact on human health and sustainable development.
Skills you'll gain
Details to know
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Recently updated!
September 2025
Assessments
22 assignments
Taught in English
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There are 7 modules in this course
This module will introduce you to the concepts of the environment, current issues related to our environment, and sustainable development. You will learn about types of environments, how environmental agents determine our health and popular ways to estimate the burden on human health due to environmental factors. We will conclude this module by exploring the linkages between environmental issues and sustainable development.
What's included
8 videos4 readings3 assignments
This module will introduce you to the concepts of exposure, dose, and response and the need to study them. You will also learn about the dose-response model (DRM). You will be able to ask relevant questions when you are interested in observing what exposure to environmental issues does to humans. You will also explore prevalent study designs and how to select the correct type of study designs.
What's included
7 videos3 readings3 assignments
This module will introduce you to the concept of risk and the need for assessing risk in the larger context of public health and public policy. You will learn about popular risk assessment and management frameworks and the importance of risk communication. You will also learn how risks vary based on perceptions, what are various intervention strategies, and some useful sources of data.
What's included
7 videos5 readings4 assignments
This module will introduce you to the idea of climate change, which is one of the greatest threats to all forms of life. You will conceptualize climate change, its impact on humans, and ways to mitigate it. You will also learn about air pollution, which is becoming a global issue, particularly in developing nations. This module will also help you identify ways to tackle air pollution.
What's included
7 videos4 readings3 assignments
This module will discuss the topic of water, sanitation, and related aspects of hygiene in the context of the environment. You will understand the concept of water and sanitation as sectors and the interconnections between water, sanitation, and health. You will also learn about Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG-6) related to water and sanitation and recommended action points.
What's included
6 videos4 readings3 assignments
This module will discuss environmental disasters and their types, contextualizing them from 1950 to the present. You will examine some case studies of environmental disasters and their health implications. You will also explore population vulnerability to such exposures and discuss related health implications.
What's included
6 videos4 readings3 assignments
This module will discuss the concepts of institutions, law, policy, and governance, which are interlinked and form the basis for environmental law and policy. You will learn about the development of international environmental law and policy and the backdrop against which they emerged. You will also explore some international policy instruments and conventions and their significance.
What's included
8 videos4 readings3 assignments
Build toward a degree
This course is part of the following degree program(s) offered by O.P. Jindal Global University. If you are admitted and enroll, your completed coursework may count toward your degree learning and your progress can transfer with you.¹
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