Environmental Management 0680
Explore ecosystems, natural resources and human impacts. Use evidence to evaluate environmental problems and management choices.
What you'll cover
- Natural environment
- Natural and human environment
- Natural and marine environments
- Atmosphere and climate
- Ecosystems and investigation
- Natural environment and risk
Published syllabus exam years: 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029. Confirm exam-series and centre availability with your school and Cambridge.
Cambridge IGCSE Environmental Management 0680 syllabus map
2027–2029 Syllabus · Version 1
7 of 7 sections have teaching and practice
Start the learning pathwayStudy options and assessment
The 2027–2029 syllabus contains seven broad topics. Forty-four original lessons map all 142 numbered learning outcomes across Natural resources, Land, Water, the atmosphere and human activities, ecosystems and fieldwork, natural hazards, and human population to guided, independent and transfer practice with explanations. Topic 5 includes written fieldwork planning and sampling scenarios, but this site does not replace centre-led, supervised and risk-assessed fieldwork. Centre-selected named local contexts, full timed Paper 1 and Paper 2 simulations, and human subject-teacher review also remain outstanding. Earlier 2025–2026 exams are not supported on this page; confirm entry availability and the applicable syllabus with your centre.
This pathway supports exams in 2027, 2028 and 2029. The earlier 2025–2026 syllabus is not mapped here. The official syllabus lists June and November exams, plus the March series in India; confirm local entry availability with your centre.
Choose your paper route
- Full IGCSE routePaper 1 + Paper 2
All candidates take both 1 hour 45 minute, 80-mark papers. All seven subject topics are mapped here; supervised fieldwork, full timed papers and subject-teacher review still remain.
Use the current examination-year syllabus, apply named examples chosen by your school and centre, and follow local fieldwork and safety instructions. This page does not replace supervised practical work or current local data.
View syllabus coverage
Cambridge lists seven syllabus topics and two externally assessed papers. All seven topics map to original teaching and staged practice. Topic-specific local context should be selected by each centre; online fieldwork planning does not replace supervised, risk-assessed fieldwork. Full timed paper simulations and subject-teacher review remain outstanding.
Natural environment
- Natural resources1
Natural and human environment
- Land2
Natural and marine environments
- Water3The water cycle, fresh-water sources and treatmentWater access, desalination and multipurpose damsWater pollution, food chains and quality managementMalaria and cholera: transmission and controlMarine harvesting and aquacultureOil pollution: causes, impacts and responsePlastics: types, marine impacts and management
Atmosphere and climate
- The atmosphere and human activities4Atmosphere, climate and the natural greenhouse effectGreenhouse gases and the enhanced greenhouse effectClimate-change impacts and linked environmental effectsClimate-change mitigation, adaptation and evaluationAcid rain: formation, impacts and managementOzone depletion: causes, impacts and management
Ecosystems and investigation
- Ecosystems, biodiversity and fieldwork5Ecosystem components, interactions and pollinationPhotosynthesis, energy flow and ecological pyramidsCarbon-cycle pathwaysForest ecosystems, deforestation and sustainable managementManaging biodiversity and genetic resourcesPlanning reliable fieldwork and choosing a sampling strategySpecies-sampling techniques and their limitations
Natural environment and risk
- Natural hazards6Earth structure, plate boundaries and tectonic patternsEarthquakes, volcanic eruptions and volcano opportunitiesTectonic-event impacts, management and volcano opportunitiesTropical-cyclone formation and impactsTropical-cyclone preparation and recoveryFlood causes and consequencesFlood management, evaluation and opportunitiesDrought: definition, causes and impactsDrought preparation, water management and recovery
Human environment
- Human population7
Practice the papers
Practice the papers
- Principles of Environmental ManagementPaper 1 · 44 lessonsRocks, the rock cycle and permeabilityMining methods, impacts and restorationManaging finite mineral resources sustainablyEnergy resources, electricity and demandConserving and managing energyFracking: benefits, limits and decisionsSoil composition, crop growth and loamWeather, seasons and the growing periodAgriculture types and sustainable food productionStrategies to increase food production and crop yieldUnsustainable agriculture and its impactsSoil erosion: causes, impacts and preventionThe water cycle, fresh-water sources and treatmentWater access, desalination and multipurpose damsWater pollution, food chains and quality managementMalaria and cholera: transmission and controlMarine harvesting and aquacultureOil pollution: causes, impacts and responsePlastics: types, marine impacts and managementAtmosphere, climate and the natural greenhouse effectGreenhouse gases and the enhanced greenhouse effectClimate-change impacts and linked environmental effectsClimate-change mitigation, adaptation and evaluationAcid rain: formation, impacts and managementOzone depletion: causes, impacts and managementEcosystem components, interactions and pollinationPhotosynthesis, energy flow and ecological pyramidsCarbon-cycle pathwaysForest ecosystems, deforestation and sustainable managementManaging biodiversity and genetic resourcesPlanning reliable fieldwork and choosing a sampling strategySpecies-sampling techniques and their limitationsEarth structure, plate boundaries and tectonic patternsEarthquakes, volcanic eruptions and volcano opportunitiesTectonic-event impacts, management and volcano opportunitiesTropical-cyclone formation and impactsTropical-cyclone preparation and recoveryFlood causes and consequencesFlood management, evaluation and opportunitiesDrought: definition, causes and impactsDrought preparation, water management and recoveryPopulation density, distribution and structurePopulation change, migration and growth impactsManaging human population size
All seven syllabus topics have linked subject-content practice. A full timed Paper 1 simulation and human subject-teacher review remain outstanding.
- Environmental Management in ContextPaper 2 · 44 lessonsRocks, the rock cycle and permeabilityMining methods, impacts and restorationManaging finite mineral resources sustainablyEnergy resources, electricity and demandConserving and managing energyFracking: benefits, limits and decisionsSoil composition, crop growth and loamWeather, seasons and the growing periodAgriculture types and sustainable food productionStrategies to increase food production and crop yieldUnsustainable agriculture and its impactsSoil erosion: causes, impacts and preventionThe water cycle, fresh-water sources and treatmentWater access, desalination and multipurpose damsWater pollution, food chains and quality managementMalaria and cholera: transmission and controlMarine harvesting and aquacultureOil pollution: causes, impacts and responsePlastics: types, marine impacts and managementAtmosphere, climate and the natural greenhouse effectGreenhouse gases and the enhanced greenhouse effectClimate-change impacts and linked environmental effectsClimate-change mitigation, adaptation and evaluationAcid rain: formation, impacts and managementOzone depletion: causes, impacts and managementEcosystem components, interactions and pollinationPhotosynthesis, energy flow and ecological pyramidsCarbon-cycle pathwaysForest ecosystems, deforestation and sustainable managementManaging biodiversity and genetic resourcesPlanning reliable fieldwork and choosing a sampling strategySpecies-sampling techniques and their limitationsEarth structure, plate boundaries and tectonic patternsEarthquakes, volcanic eruptions and volcano opportunitiesTectonic-event impacts, management and volcano opportunitiesTropical-cyclone formation and impactsTropical-cyclone preparation and recoveryFlood causes and consequencesFlood management, evaluation and opportunitiesDrought: definition, causes and impactsDrought preparation, water management and recoveryPopulation density, distribution and structurePopulation change, migration and growth impactsManaging human population size
All seven syllabus topics include linked practice, including fieldwork-planning scenarios. Full source-based Paper 2 simulation and centre-led, supervised fieldwork remain outstanding.
Lessons and worked examples
Choose where to begin
Choose a lesson, try the practice and explain the idea without your notes. Your study checks help you decide what to review.
- 01
Rocks, the rock cycle and permeability
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 02
Mining methods, impacts and restoration
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Not started - 03
Managing finite mineral resources sustainably
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Not started - 04
Energy resources, electricity and demand
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Not started - 05
Conserving and managing energy
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Not started - 06
Fracking: benefits, limits and decisions
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Not started - 07
Soil composition, crop growth and loam
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Not started - 08
Weather, seasons and the growing period
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Not started - 09
Agriculture types and sustainable food production
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Not started - 10
Strategies to increase food production and crop yield
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Not started - 11
Unsustainable agriculture and its impacts
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Not started - 12
Soil erosion: causes, impacts and prevention
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Not started - 13
The water cycle, fresh-water sources and treatment
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Not started - 14
Water access, desalination and multipurpose dams
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Not started - 15
Water pollution, food chains and quality management
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Not started - 16
Malaria and cholera: transmission and control
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Not started - 17
Marine harvesting and aquaculture
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Not started - 18
Oil pollution: causes, impacts and response
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Not started - 19
Plastics: types, marine impacts and management
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 20
Atmosphere, climate and the natural greenhouse effect
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 21
Greenhouse gases and the enhanced greenhouse effect
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Not started - 22
Climate-change impacts and linked environmental effects
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 23
Climate-change mitigation, adaptation and evaluation
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 24
Acid rain: formation, impacts and management
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 25
Ozone depletion: causes, impacts and management
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 26
Ecosystem components, interactions and pollination
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 27
Photosynthesis, energy flow and ecological pyramids
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 28
Carbon-cycle pathways
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 29
Forest ecosystems, deforestation and sustainable management
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 30
Managing biodiversity and genetic resources
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 31
Planning reliable fieldwork and choosing a sampling strategy
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 32
Species-sampling techniques and their limitations
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 33
Earth structure, plate boundaries and tectonic patterns
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 34
Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and volcano opportunities
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 35
Tectonic-event impacts, management and volcano opportunities
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 36
Tropical-cyclone formation and impacts
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 37
Tropical-cyclone preparation and recovery
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Not started - 38
Flood causes and consequences
Learn the method · Practise with help · Try it yourself · Apply the idea
Not started - 39
Flood management, evaluation and opportunities
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Not started - 40
Drought: definition, causes and impacts
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Not started - 41
Drought preparation, water management and recovery
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Not started - 42
Population density, distribution and structure
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Not started - 43
Population change, migration and growth impacts
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Not started - 44
Managing human population size
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Not started
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