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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED UNIT STANDARD THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE: 

Demonstrate a general understanding of people-environment relationships and current environmental challenges 
SAQA US ID UNIT STANDARD TITLE
13650  Demonstrate a general understanding of people-environment relationships and current environmental challenges 
ORIGINATOR
SGB Environmental Educators 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY
-  
FIELD SUBFIELD
Field 05 - Education, Training and Development Adult Learning 
ABET BAND UNIT STANDARD TYPE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL CREDITS
Undefined  Regular  Level 5  Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5  16 
REGISTRATION STATUS REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE SAQA DECISION NUMBER
Passed the End Date -
Status was "Reregistered" 		 2018-07-01  2023-06-30  SAQA 06120/18 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2026-06-30   2029-06-30  

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.  

This unit standard does not replace any other unit standard and is not replaced by any other unit standard. 

PURPOSE OF THE UNIT STANDARD 
This core unit standard within the National Certificate in Environmental Education, Training and Development Practice (NQF Level 5) constitutes a significant proportion of the core credits of this qualification. It provides environmental education practitioners with the essential knowledge that will enable them to develop and implement environmental learning programmes and to understand, analyse and respond to environmental issues and risks.

In particular, its purpose is to provide learners with a broad knowledge of:
  • human-environment relations throughout history
  • major political and socio-economic processes and institutions that influence environmental issues or challenges
  • recent responses to environmental issues or challenges


    A person credited with this unit standard will be able to:
  • Demonstrate knowledge of how people-environment relationships change
  • Analyse some key human responses to recent environmental challenges
  • Describe how political, economic and social processes and organisations have influenced environmental challenges
  • Analyse a local biophysical issue from both local and global perspectives 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    Learners will either have obtained a level 4 qualification in Natural Sciences, Social Sciences or Environmental Sciences or will have completed/undertake concurrently unit standard:
  • Demonstrate a knowledge of environmental systems and sustainability 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD RANGE 
    At level 5, learners should be able to apply a general understanding of people-environment relationships to a specific context, whether familiar or unfamiliar. Within this context they should be able to explain how human-environment relations have changed over time, and how people recently have been responding to environmental challenges.

    Learners should have a general understanding of the major political and socio-economic processes and institutions that influence particular environments and environmental issues. They should be able to apply this knowledge to a general analysis of local environmental issues that have a bearing on the biophysical environment. Detailed analysis is not required. 

    Specific Outcomes and Assessment Criteria: 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 1 
    Demonstrate knowledge of how people-environment relationships change 
    OUTCOME NOTES 
    Embedded knowledge:

    Fundamental knowledge of human-environment relationships, including:
  • An historical perspective of human-environment relationships in particular societies
  • Significant landmark developments in human-environment relationships, e.g. agriculture, the industrial revolution, global expansion of the free market economy, etc.
  • Human population dynamics, limits to growth and levels of consumption 
    		•

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    1. Describe how particular societies have changed over time. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Consider hunter-gatherer, pastoral, agricultural and industrial societies, etc.
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    2. Describe how changes in the organisation of particular societies may be related to changes in the availability of resources, human demographics and levels of consumption. 
    ASSESSMENT CRITERION RANGE 
    Focus especially on landmark developments e.g. the industrial revolution.
     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    3. Relate particular changes in social organisation to environmental impacts. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 2 
    Analyse some key human responses to recent environmental challenges 
    OUTCOME NOTES 
    Embedded knowledge:

    Fundamental knowledge of a limited range of key responses and debates related, for example, to specific:
  • Environmental movements (e.g. Chipko, Greens, social justice movements)
  • Environmentalists (e.g. Aldo Leopold, Rachel Carson, Vandana Shiva)
  • Environmental summits and conventions (e.g. United Nations and South African contexts) 
    		•
    OUTCOME RANGE 
    Consider a minimum of three responses from a range of contexts. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    1. List some key responses to environmental challenges. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    2. Describe major features of each response. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    3. Explain the circumstances that led to the formulation of each response. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    4. Describe some of the strengths and weaknesses of each response. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 3 
    Describe political, economic and social processes 
    OUTCOME NOTES 
    Describe how political, economic and social processes and organisations have influenced environmental challenges.

    Embedded Knowledge:

    General knowledge of a range of national and international processes and organizations that have a bearing on the particular context and environmental issues or challenges, e.g. Colonialism, Post-Colonialism, Apartheid, IMF, the World Bank, the United Nations, Structural Readjustment Programmes, Trade Agreements, etc. 
    OUTCOME RANGE 
    Consider environmental issues and challenges within a particular context in the light of an understanding of national and global contexts. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    1. Identify some major political, economic and social processes and organisations that have influenced environmental challenges within a particular context. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    2. Describe how these processes and organisations have influenced environmental challenges within a particular context. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    3. Make constructive suggestions on how these processes and organisations could help to resolve environmental challenges within a particular context. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 4 
    Analyse a local biophysical issue from both local and global perspectives 
    OUTCOME RANGE 
    This outcome should integrate knowledge from the previous three specific outcomes. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    1. Choose a local biophysical issue and justify the reason for choice. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    2. Analyse the biophysical issue in terms of local, national and global biophysical, social, political and economic perspectives. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    3. Suggest a course of action to help resolve the biophysical issue. 


    UNIT STANDARD ACCREDITATION AND MODERATION OPTIONS 
    Accreditation and moderation options:

    Anyone assessing a learner against this unit standard must be registered as an assessor with the relevant ETQA.

    Any institution offering learning that will enable achievement of this unit standard must be accredited as a provider through the relevant ETQA by SAQA.

    Moderation of assessment will be overseen by the relevant ETQA according to the moderation guidelines in the relevant qualification and the agreed ETQA procedures. 

    UNIT STANDARD ESSENTIAL EMBEDDED KNOWLEDGE 
    Refer to the specific outcomes contained in this unit standard. 


    Critical Cross-field Outcomes (CCFO): 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO IDENTIFYING 
    Identify and solve problems and make decisions using critical and creative thinking. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COLLECTING 
    Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COMMUNICATING 
    Communicate effectively using visual, symbolic and/or language skills in various modes. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO SCIENCE 
    Use science and technology effectively, showing responsibility to the environment and the health of others. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO DEMONSTRATING 
    Demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation. 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO CONTRIBUTING 
    Reflect on and explore a variety of strategies to learn more effectively. 

    REREGISTRATION HISTORY 
    As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this unit standard was Reregistered in 2012; 2015. 

    QUALIFICATIONS UTILISING THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
      ID QUALIFICATION TITLE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL STATUS END DATE PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QA FUNCTIONARY
    Core  22901   National Certificate: Environmental Education, Training and Development Practice  Level 5  Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L5  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Reregistered"     		 2023-06-30  ETDP SETA 
    Core  22902   National Diploma: Environmental Education, Training and Development Practice  Level 5  NQF Level 05  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Reregistered"     		 2023-06-30  ETDP SETA 
    Core  22903   Bachelor of Environmental Education, Training and Development Practice  Level 6  Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Reregistered"     		 2023-06-30  CHE 


    PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
    This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.
     
    1. Assessment and Entrepreneurship Centre 
    2. DELTA ENVIRONMENTAL CENTRE NPC 
    3. NTI College 
    4. Reflections Development Institute 
    5. Retshetse Training Project 
    6. South West Gauteng Tvet College 
    7. SPS Consulting (Pty) Ltd 
    8. THE GMC GROUP PTY LTD 
    9. Ulwazi Training & Development 
    10. Wildlife and Enviroment Society of South Africa 


    All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.