About the Course
The Amazon is the world’s largest rainforest and river system, vital to the planet’s climate stability and home to irreplaceable biodiversity. It provides critical ecosystem services to the entire globe and the eight sovereign countries and one overseas territory that directly encompass it. The Amazon is home to 47 million people, including more than two million Indigenous people, with their own cultural identities, territorial management practices, and 300 languages. Yet, the Amazon is facing historically unprecedented challenges. Deforestation, degradation, fragmentation, and criminality are on the rise in the region, putting the Amazon in danger of crossing a tipping point beyond which today’s forests can no longer exist.
The Living Amazon: Science, Cultures and Sustainability in Practice, offered in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, provides an overview of the state of the Amazon’s ecosystems, current trends, threats and impacts, and how they will affect the long-term well-being of the region. After learning about what is putting the ecosystems and communities of the Amazon in danger, learners will explore key opportunities for conservation and sustainable development to protect the region for current and future generations.
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Describe how the Amazon was formed and why it is home to such a rich diversity of plants, animals, and cultures.
- Understand the role the Amazon plays in the world's hydroclimate system and what it would mean for humanity to lose a significant portion of the forest.
- Describe how Amazonian populations have influenced and sustainably managed the Amazon’s ecosystems over millennia.
- List the main threats the Amazon currently faces and drivers of deforestation and land degradation.
- Identify sustainable alternatives for development in the Amazon.
- Be inspired to implement sustainable alternatives for development in the Amazon.
Course Logistics & Requirements
The course is structured around 8 modules of pre-recorded video lectures. Each module is also accompanied by readings, assignments, and discussions. Each of these course components can be completed at a time that is convenient for the learner.
The estimated time commitment to complete all course components is 4-6 hours per week, though this depends heavily on the learner and their objectives in taking the course.
Course Materials Provided
This course is self-paced, which means that you can access all of the content as soon as the course begins. You have until March 18, 2025, to complete all of the materials.
The module materials provided will be:
1) Videos: Each module will have 4-6 video chapters. Each video is 8-15 minutes in length. Ungraded comprehension questions accompany the video lectures.
2) Readings: Each module includes required readings. These are available in the "readings" tab for that module. All readings can be directly opened and downloaded from the course page.
4) Assignment: For each module, you will be asked to complete an assignment based on the material covered. Assignments will give you an opportunity to explore the theory you learned in the videos in a practical setting.
5) Discussion: Each module includes one discussion for learners to engage with on the Discussion Board. Learners will post their own responses to the questions, and respond to at least one other learner's thoughts.
6) Supplementary Materials: Additional readings, videos, and resources will be provided for those who are interested in learning more about a specific topic within the module.
Grading & Certificates
For each of the 8 modules, there are a series of video comprehension questions, a discussion activity, and an assignment. Please note that comprehension questions assess your understanding of the videos, while the discussion activities ask you to engage with your fellow learners on the Discussion Board. Assignments ask you to apply your understanding to a new context. Verified learners also have access to a graded final exam.
VERIFIED LEARNERS: The final grade for the course will be weighted as follows: 80% for completion of coursework (pre- and post-course surveys, comprehension questions, discussion activities, and assignments) and 20% for the final exam. You have the duration of the course to complete the coursework and final exam.
Learners who successfully complete the course may choose to purchase a verified certificate signed by Dr. Carlos Nobre. In order to successfully complete the course, learners must score an average of 70% or higher on the graded component (final exam) of the course. You can decide to purchase a verified certificate up to 10 days from the close of the course.
While this course is not credit granting, we encourage learners to work with their own institutions to explore the option of granting credit for online coursework.
Translations
The course videos have been recorded in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and text transcripts in each of these languages can be shown to scroll adjacent to the videos by pressing "cc" at the lower right corner. All of the materials throughout the course are offered in at least two of the three languages. For the Discussion Boards, you are encouraged to write in your language to interact with other learners.
Please see the “Languages & Translations” tab for more information on how to best navigate the course in each of the three languages.
Contact Information
Questions? Concerns?
Please be sure to direct any technical questions about the course to edX using the "Help" button at the top of your page!
Questions about course content should be addressed to mooc@theamazonwewant.org. General questions about the SDG Academy should be addressed to courses@sdgacademy.org.
Partners
This MOOC is the product of a collaboration between the Science Panel for the Amazon (SPA), the World Bank (WB), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). It builds on the flagship 2021 Amazon Assessment Report, produced by the Science Panel for the Amazon and launched at COP26 in Glasgow, and on several other SPA publications.