Water Ethics and Interreligious Environmental Responsibility
University: Tirana
Abstract
This module positions Islamic environmental ethics and interreligious dialogue as practical resources for addressing water-related challenges in Albania. It combines theology, sustainability, and civic engagement, preparing students to act as ethically informed, socially responsible, and dialogically competent citizens.
General Information
| Duration: | 4 weeks (12 academic hours) |
| Level: | Master |
| Fields: | Islamic Studies, Religious Studies, Religious Education, Environmental Ethics |
| Institution: | University College Bedër |
| Partner Organizations: | Interreligious Council of Albania; Religions for Peace, KAICCID |
| Target Group: | Master students |
| Prerequisites: | Basic knowledge of religion, ethics, or sustainability concepts |
Contextual Framework: Albania
Although Albania is rich in water resources (rivers, lakes, groundwater, coastline), it faces serious ethical, environmental, and governance challenges, including:
- unequal access to drinking water, especially in rural areas;
- pollution of rivers such as Lana, Ishëm, Erzen, and Seman;
- inefficient water infrastructure and high levels of water waste (israf);
- climate-change-related floods and droughts;
- underutilized potential of religious communities in environmental education.
Given Albania’s tradition of religious coexistence and high public trust in faith communities, the module treats water as a concrete amanah (divine trust) within Albanian society and promotes faith-based responsibility for environmental protection.
Learning Objectives and Competencies
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- Explain water ethics from an Islamic theological and environmental ethics perspective, including key eco-theological concepts related to water.
- Analyze Albanian water challenges using Islamic environmental principles alongside ethical, sociological, and sustainability frameworks.
- Compare religious and interreligious approaches to water ethics and environmental responsibility.
- Engage constructively in interreligious dialogue on environmental and water-related issues.
- Assess the role of faith-based actors and institutions in environmental protection and water governance.
- Apply ethical principles to real-world water justice, governance, and sustainability challenges.
- Design small-scale educational or community-based initiatives focused on water ethics and sustainable practices.
- Relate religious ethics to global sustainability frameworks, particularly the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).