Introduction

The Department of Geography and Environmental Studies has two sections: Human Geography and Physical Geography sections.

Physical Geography can be taken by students in the Faculty of Science and Technology either as teachers of High School Geography or as people interested in Applied Environmental problems.  The following are areas of Physical Geography which are covered in the department:

a)         Soil Science:

The study of soil both as a medium for plant growth and as the space-time continuum forming the upper part of the earth's crust.

b)         Geology/ Geomorphology:

Geology is the study of rock types and their economic importance.

Geomorphology is the study of land forms, their development and distribution.

c)         Hydrology:

The study of water, its distribution in time and space.  The quantitative and qualitative aspects of water.

d)         Climatology/ Meteorology:

Climatology is the study of the statistical attributes of weather conditions over specific region for a specified interval of time.

Meteorology is the study of the state and processes of the atmosphere.

The Physical Geography programme is specifically designed to meet the manpower requirements in the fields of Hydrology and Water Resources Analysis, Management of Soils, RangeLands and their conservation, improvement of Agricultural Productivity by promoting an insight into natural processes causing erosion and wastage of arable lands. This also improves education and training in soil and water management at both scientific and technical level.

The need for this programme will continue as long as man uses land and the lower atmosphere as a place of habitat. Numerous reports on drought, erosion, water resources and famine verify the importance of training along this line.

Successful graduates in Geography find employment in the following ministries/ departments to list a few:

1.         Agriculture and Marketing

2.         Co-operatives and Rural Development

3.         Water, Energy and Mining

4.         Local Government

Human Geography concentrates on those characteristics related to man and society. Human Geography aims at understanding the distributions and interrelationships of environmental, socio-economic, political, historical and other aspects of society and applying this understanding to the reality of planning for development.