Sustainable water management requires solutions that combine environmental science, technology, policy and community action.
At ARU, students are encouraged to explore these interconnected challenges through interdisciplinary learning experiences that develop the knowledge and skills needed to address complex environmental issues.
Protecting water, land and air through interdisciplinary learning
Our award-winning Ruskin Modules provide students with opportunities to explore global sustainability challenges through interdisciplinary learning. Within the Sustainable Futures pathway, students can choose the Ruskin Module How can we protect water, land and air?, which encourages learners from different academic backgrounds to examine environmental challenges, including those related to water security, ecosystem health and climate change.
The module enables students to explore the interconnected social, environmental and technological factors affecting water resources and the wider natural environment, while developing collaborative problem-solving skills that can be applied to real-world sustainability challenges. By bringing together students from different disciplines and perspectives, the module encourages systems thinking and supports the development of future graduates who can contribute to the sustainable management of water and other vital natural resources.
Training the next generation of water engineers
Students on our Civil Engineering courses are able to take a module on hydraulics, which gives them a fundamental understanding of hydraulic and hydrological processes and their application to water infrastructure systems. This covers key principles of fluid flow, open-channel hydraulics, hydrological analysis, and water engineering design. Through a combination of theoretical learning and practical laboratory investigations, students develop an understanding of how water systems function and how engineering interventions influence water resources, flood management, and environmental sustainability.
Another module on geotechnics and Nature-Based Solutions integrates advanced geotechnical engineering with the principles of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) and Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI), enabling students to explore sustainable approaches to environmental and infrastructure challenges. A key feature of the module is the use of the ARU Peterborough campus development as a real-world case study, providing students with the opportunity to examine how sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) and other nature-based interventions can support climate resilience, surface water management, water quality improvements, and sustainable urban development. Working with a live project partner, students engage with feasibility study, planning and design challenges including soil assessment, foundation and retaining wall design, slope stability analysis, and the integration of SuDS within the built environment.
Last updated: October 2026
To request additions, corrections or changes to the information in these pages, please contact: Dr Zareen Bharucha: [email protected]. Please use the subject line ‘ARU SDG’.