The British Geological Survey (BGS) have been working on a range of quantitative groundwater maps for the African continent. These suggest that many countries described as being 'water scarce' actually have sme good groundwater resources. Whilst the researchers are not advocating large scale extraction of this water, there is suggestion that the resources can be used in small, low-yield boreholes in rural areas.
A major volcano in Mexico has begun spewing ash, steam and burning rock, prompting Mexico to raise their alert level. In the past eruptions from the volcano, Popocatapetl, have resulted in many local communities being evacuated.
This crisis hitting many nations in West Africa is impacting many people, and yet has a relatively low profile across the UK. Read more about the drought in the Sahel and the impacts on Oxfam's website.
This week the BBC Panorama show focused on the problem of acid pollution into a local river in the Democratic Republic of Congo. You can find a brief highlight here and the full documentary here.
Many of you may be interested in a number of jobs the British Geological Survey (BGS) are advertising on their website. These jobs include jobs in engineering geology (landslides and subsidence), volcanology and many other fields. The BGS have an excellent reputation for their work in overseas development.
Another good place to look for job and PhD opportunities is through the earthworks website, which often has vacancies in a range of fields, across the world.
I recently stumbled across quite an amazing archive of literature relating to groundwater resources in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), hosted by the British Geological Survey. This archive of 'grey literature' contains reports, data and maps from across the past century. It is all available to download free of charge, and is a great resource for those wanting background information on previous work carried out in these nations.
Information exists for the following countries/regions:
This post is part one of a two-part series examining how we should respond to the crisis in East Africa, and what role geologists have to play. This post looks at the current emergency humanitarian situation, and the types of rapid relief required. The next post will look in more detail at what geologists can do to prevent this type of crisis happening again.
(1) The Emergency Situation
Last week I reported on the dire situation in the Horn of Africa, as a result of poor rainy seasons and thus severe drought. Since the UNOCHA released their helpful graphic highlighting the scale of this problem, the situation has been in the UK media most days as almost 3.2 million people need emergency aid. A number of international NGOs have begun appeals to raise the necessary funds to support the region, and the UK Department for International Development (DFID) has contributed around £38million towards feeding people in the region.
(2) Relief Requirements
In addition to providing food there is an urgent need for clean, fresh water. Oxfam were on the news a short while ago, showing some of the equipment they were preparing to take over to the region to drill for groundwater and ease some of the stress. Lack of clean water means severe dehydration for many adults and children, the spread of disease and poor food production. The lack of water has also killed livestock which are a major asset of many people. When required these livestock are sold to raise funds to purchase food - however the lack of water has resulted in cattle being killed through dehydration. As cattle get weaker they are worth less, whereas cereal prices are rising - meaning it is increasingly difficult to purchase food.
Each day thousands of people are arriving at the world's largest refugee camp - a camp built for 90,000 is currently holding 360,000 people. This puts a huge strain on the facilities available, with an urgent need for sanitation services and clean water. Without adequate sanitation facilities being built disease could spread rapidly through the camp, causing an even worse crisis.
You can get a summary of the situation by watching this Channel 4 News Report:
(3) Role of Groundwater
Groundwater is less affected by unusually low rainfall and therefore drought, as it takes time for water to enter an aquifer - thus average rainfall is more important. Groundwater can, therefore, be a lifeline to communities affected by droughts of the severity we are seeing in East Africa. Oxfam have stated that they are planning to drill boreholes to help communities find more sustainable sources of water. It is to be hoped that the drilling for groundwater in this region can be undertaken rapidly and successfully, particularly in locations where people are flocking - such as the refugee camps, and key facilities such as schools and hospitals.
Drilling for groundwater is not an easy task, and success is not guaranteed. Geologists will use resources such as geological maps, hydrogeological maps and field observations to determine what groundwater availability there could be in specific areas. Geophysical measurements will then be used to select suitable drilling locations and drilling depths. Holes are then drilled and water is hopefully encountered. In some cases water is not encountered and the hole must be abandoned. In other cases a test (known as a pumping test) to determine how much water there is available and how quickly it enters the well. This test can show that the water is sufficient or insufficient for abstraction. Finally, tests must be done to test the quality of the water and ensure that it is not contaminated.
Groundwater mapping undertaken by the British Geological Survey in Ethiopia (see below) shows groundwater availability during a drought. Comparing this map with the map of areas affected suggest that accessing groundwater in the south-east of the country could be difficult, whereas groundwater in the central-south is more likely to be available, although could also be problematic. I'm not aware if similar maps exist for Somalia and Kenya.
(4) Further Information
Crisis appeals have been launched by a number of charities:
Afghanistan is regularly in the news as a result of the ongoing conflict in the region. It is also a major beneficiary of development aid, as countries and international organisations aim to help redevelopment and reduce poverty in the region after years of oppression and conflict. Geologists are playing a significant role in this development, and have the potential to bring real hope and development to the people of that nation. Both the British Geological Survey (BGS) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) have been involved in supporting development in Afghanistan, working with their respective national aid agencies (DFID, USAID respectively).
The BGS has supported the development of the Afghan Geological Survey with a focus on its mineral resources. Afghanistan has a rich and diverse mineral potential - ranging from energy resources to base metals, precious metals and stones. Many of these mineral resources are undeveloped, meaning they offer a good revenue to support the development of the country. The BGS has been working to strengthen the Afghan Geological Survey, empowering them to identify these resources and plan the sustainable exploitation of their own natural resources. The work of the BGS has included improving their staff's english speaking and computer literacy, helping them develop laboratories and databases, and training staff in the skills of geological analysis.
The USGS has undertaken a range of projects, including building institutional capacity, developing energy and mineral resources, developing water resources, and examining geohazards in the region. Their work on geohazards has included analysing the seismicity of the region, and producing seismic hazard maps for Afghanistan. These are fundamental to ensuring construction and redevelopment is done to an adequate standard - ensuring the risk of serious structural failure is minimised. There is a significant risk of medium to large earthquakes in the east of Afghanistan. From 1980-2008, the cost of earthquake (and related disasters) damage was around 144million dollars, and the number of deaths was in the region of 13,500 (USGS). As urbanisation grows and development occurs, this must be done in a way in which the seismic risk is recognised and incorporated into design. If this is not the case then the figures stated earlier could be significantly greater.
Geologists from both of these organisations have played a significant role in the development of Afghanistan, and empowerment of geologists in this country. It is likely that both Afghan national geologists and international geologists will play a major role in the continual development of this nation.
There have been a few relevant and interesting stories in the news recently, that many of our readers may be interested in:
