Friday Photo (5) - Spring Protection Schemes

TANZANIA: SPRING PROTECTION SCHEMES
A series of spring protection schemes, highlighting some of the good and bad aspects of construction:
TOP: Main spring is covered however there is poor drainage of surface water.
MIDDLE: Failure to cover the water means this is not really a spring 'protection' scheme. Poor drainage also.
BOTTOM: Main spring is covered and there is good drainage. This is a high quality construction.
(c) Geology for Global Development 2011

GUEST BLOG: Rethinking Development in an Age of Scarcity and Uncertainty

Louisa Fearn is a third year undergraduate student at the University of Leeds where she is studying Environmental Geology. Below she reports on a recent conference she attended, sharing her insights as a geologist with a keen interest in international development.

"Last month I attended a conference on international development held at York University from 18th- 22nd September: ‘Rethinking Development in an Age of Scarcity and Uncertainty: New Values, Voices and Alliances for increased Resilience’ was jointly held by the DSA (Development Studies Association) and EADI (European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes).

The event, attended by 750 development academics and practitioners, was the largest gathering of its kind in 30 years. I worked in a team of 30 student volunteers that organised the running of the event, and in return could attend sessions fitting with my responsibilities.

Themes of the conference included climate change, migration, conflict, gender, research methods and governance. In addition there was a more discrete theme of lectures and working groups that all indirectly demonstrated the importance of geology as a discipline in international development. As a natural scientist, I was very much in the minority and one of the highlights was appreciating the differences between natural and social scientists and the challenges this creates when aiming for interdisciplinary work.

A few of the presentations focussed on the role of the extractive industry in development:

‘Constraints, Opportunities and Hope: Artisanal Gold Mining and Trade in South Kivu (DRC).’ Sara Geenen of University of Antwerp, Belgium. This was an excellent presentation, emphasising themes Joel brought up in an earlier post on the impacts of unregulated artisanal mining.

‘The Rhetoric and Reality of Transparency in Energy Governance: The Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative and Publish What You Pay Campaign.’ James van Alstine, University of Leeds. I could not attend this lecture but have met James who researches and works in corporate responsibility, seeking to establish informal and formal (Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative) rules to govern the impacts of societal and environmental impacts of oil, gas and mining companies.

Another lecture considering the extractive industry was from France Bourgouin, Danish Institute for International Studies:  ‘Mining for Sustainable Development? What Role for Multinational Mining Corporations in Resource-Rich Developing Countries.’ Using a case study of gold mining in Tanzania, France discussed the role of Barrick Gold in the development of the nation.

Perhaps the lecture I found most interesting was from Graham Davies of Colorado School of Mines in ‘Replicating Sachs and Warner’. A former metallurgical engineer now researching resource extraction and development, he discussed the possible reasons for poverty, ranging from the resource curse to geography, demographics and the potential for focussing on health and sanitation as a mechanism out of poverty.

I thoroughly enjoyed the event, and it gave plenty of scope for considering the role of a development specialist in geology, and indeed, the role of a geologist in global development."

Geology for Global Development - Check Out Our Website!

Remember you can read more about Geology for Global Development on our main website. The website features details of the projects we are working on,  resources we have produced and links to NGOs, blogs and other great resources. It also explains a bit more about our vision and objectives, and guiding principles. 

Friday Photo (4) - Coastal Erosion

CHILE: COASTAL EROSION IN ANTOFAGASTA
Soft and poorly consolidated sedimentary rocks, such as those found in Antofagasta (Chile) are very vulnerable to coastal erosion. In this locality there are few coastal defences constructed to slow or prevent erosion.
(c) Geology for Global Development 2011

International Day for Disaster Reduction 2011

Today is the International Day for Disaster Reduction. Read more about the United Nations plans to mark this day on their website.

One of the key things this blog posts about is 'Disaster Risk Reduction' - reducing vulnerabiity and building resilence to natural hazards in order to reduce the risk of a major disaster. Reducing vulnerability comes through a range of things - including education, decreasing poverty, building good governance, effective town planning and many other things. One key area geologists work to reduce vulnerability is through increasing our knowledge and understanding of geohazards - how they work and when they occur, and when they have occurred historically what was the intensity of the event. GfGD has written many posts about different aspects of disaster risk reduction - have a look through our archives to read more.

Risky Gold Mining in Senegal

Calcite Deposits with some evidence
of minor gold veins (Chile)

The BBC recently produced a video report of 'risky gold mining' in Senegal, West Africa. The video highlight how individuals are coming from Senegal, and across the border from Mali to hunt for and mine gold. The report highlights the lack of all supervision, regulation and safety procedures - with miners at risk of serious injury or even death. It also highlights how mercury, used in the gold mining process, is also regularly added to the local stream - which is also their drinking water supply. This poses a further risk of serious illness to the miners, and other users of this water. As the community of miners expands there is also the risk of disease from poor sanitation practice. 

Small scale artisanal mining is widespread in many developing countries - providing an important source of income for many communities. However in many cases it is done in very poor conditions, and can be illegal. The risk of serious injury or diseases (such as highlighted above) can be significant. There are programmes working with some artisanal miners, to help protect them and improve their working conditions. For example,  DFID and the World Bank are involved in a "Collaborative group on Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (CASM)" that work to reduce poverty through improving the environmental, social and economic performance of artisinal and small scale mining in developing countries.   

Friday Photo (3) - Open-Pit Copper Mines

CHILE: CHIQUICAMATA COPPER MINE
By digged volume, the biggest open-pit copper mines in the world, and an empty town after residents were relocated further from the mine to protect their health
(c) Geology for Global Development 2011

Guest Blog: Some thoughts on Agrogeology...

GfGD is delighted to repost the following comment made by Dr D Vasudevan, with his permission,on our original 'Key Theme' post covering agrogeology. His comment gave some helpful insights and thoughts about the history and importance of this subject. Dr Vasudevan has extensive experience as a geologist in India, formerly working as the Deputy Director General of the Indian Geological Survey.

"The blog on agrogeology highlights the importance of geological application in enhancing the quality of soils used in agro-farming and forestry.

Agrogeology formed part of the curriculum in geological studies in Britain and even in U.S.A in the first half of the last century and in fact there were a couple of treatises written on agrogeology, the most notables being the text book on agricultural geology by Prof. Rastall in UK and the other by Prof. Tarr in USA. In fact, in the late 1890s and the begining of 20th century the Geological Survey of India included soil studies as part of geological investigations in its annual field programmes. For reasons unknown, in later years soil study got detached and eliminated from the domain of geology and became deeply entrenched in agricultural science. The British and US Geological Surveys and universities removed soil studies from their research programmes; whereas in Eastern European countries agrogeology was fostered as a research field in major geological institutes.

Fortunately, a series of famines in African countries brought back agrogeological studies into focus and even the USGS has begun to reestablish the importance of geological studies of soil for improving agricultural, sericultural, forestry and fishing potential of the country. As soils, because of repeated and uninterupted usage over centuries, are fast getting depleted of their micronutrients they need to be revitalised in a natural way rather than by usage of artificially produced fertilisers. The best way would be to remineralise the soils using suitable mineral/rock powder which, interacting with the soil microbes, are absorbed by the plants.

I hope Indian authorities too realise the importance of soil studies as an integral part of geological studies and thereby introduce agrogeology in university courses, and include it in the country's premiere geological institutes as a research wing .For in the coming millinea there may be shortage of cultivable land leading to acute food shortage and we must be on our guard to sustain effective agro-farming and water management."

Resources: Relief Web

Relief Web is a valuable data and information source, freely available on the internet. Relief Web hosts reports written by a number of humanitarian agencies following disasters, including those with a geohazard context. You can search by country and disaster - and the site hosts reports, maps and at times links to available aerial photographs. there are also jobs posted.

The site has proved to be helpful for gathering information on major humanitrian situations - but also smaller situations, which are not in the media so much.

Friday Photo (2) - Sustainable Water Supply

TANZANIA: SUCCESSFUL & SUSTAINABLE DEEP BOREHOLE -
This water supply was built at least 30 years ago and is still working well, thanks to good management and maintenance by the local community and caretaker (pictured).
(c) Geology for Global Development 2011

Can Earthquakes Trigger Volcanic Eruptions?

Scientists from the United States Geological Survey's (USGS) Hawaiian Volcano Observatory have written an excellent article about the relationship between earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Due to the fact that both volcanoes and active faulting occur on plate boundaries, these are closely related processes. Simply put, earthquakes change the stress field in the area in which they occur. These changes in the stress field can change the stress balance around magma chambers - bringing them closer to an eruption. Both the fields of seismology and volcanology are complex processes however, and therefore the interactions between these two systems are also complicated.

One reflection from reading this article, is the importance of understanding and incorporating the interaction of hazards within natural hazard risk assessments. If people have been affected by a large earthquake they will be more vulnerable to a volcanic eruption than if there had been no earthquake. Their properties may have been damaged, giving them less protection from ash, blocks of rock etc - and roads used as emergency escape routes may also have been damaged. This again highlights the importance of a holistic, multi-hazard approach to natural hazard analysis. 

Read the full article for more information.

Geology for Global Development - University Poster

Did you know... Geology for Global Development is not just a blog - we are an organisation working to raise the profile of international development within the student/recent graduate geoscience community. One of our aims is to establish groups within universities across the UK, to organise seminars, help raise funds, and get people involved in our projects and future placements 

Over the coming weeks we will be working to get posters displayed in UK university earth science / geology / physical geography departments to promote who we are and what we are doing. You can help by downloading a poster from the university groups page of our website and asking to display it in your university department.

Friday Photo (1) - Joy of Clean Water

From this week, each Friday this blog will publish a photo or series of photos - highlighting the work of geologists and the impacts of their work. If you have a photo you want to share - contact GfGD.

TANZANIA: THE JOY OF CLEAN WATER
Protecting the health and improving the lives of children 
(c) Geology for Global Development 2011 

Hydrogeology & Development Conference 2011

Last week I attended a conference on hydrogeology and development, jointly convened by the Hydrogeological Group of the Geological Society of London and the International Association of Hydrogeologists. It was an excellent opportunity to listen to those working in the hydrogeology sector, and think about the role of the hydrogeologist in global development.

The afternoon began with a presentation by Helen Bonsor, from the BGS, who discussed the BGS's work in developing quantitative maps of groundwater for Africa. This work involved collating existing information, and generating quantitative estimates of key aquifer parameters in order to produce continent-scale hydrogeological maps. This work was crucial for understanding how climate change will affect African groundwater. You can read about their work on the BGS website and see some of the maps resulting from their work.

The second presentation by Dr Mark Cuthbert, of the University of Birmingham, looked at recharge estimation in NE Uganda. An impressive data set looking at groundwater levels was used to determine the amount of recharge in the region (i.e. how much water will be added to the groundwater due to rain, losing streams etc). Understanding recharge is crucial for knowing how to manage water in a sustainable manner - making sure less water is being removed each year than is being added each year). 

The third session was a discussion about the role of the hydrogeologist in aid and development. Thoughts from this session will be documented in a separate and later blog.

The fourth session was presented by Prof. Stephen Silliman, from the University of Notre Dame, who presented this year's Darcy Lecture on the 'development of reliable hydrologic data sets in difficult environments' using case studies from Benin in West Africa. This was an outstanding lecture in which Prof. Silliman argued strongly that reliable and scientifically defensible data-sets can be generated in rural, developing locations where access and finances are limited. Through close collaboration with in-country universities, government agencies, NGOs and local communities, Prof. Silliman was able to monitor the water quality over several years, gathering high-quality and reliable data.

The final session was by Prof. Richard Carter, Head of Technical Support at WaterAid. Prof Carter outlined the importance of systematic supervision when undertaking borehole projects, from ensuring good siting choices to supervising the drilling process itself. His presentation concluded that supervision should include being "systematic about observations, measurements and record keeping - generating important information for decision making, assuring construction quality and cost effectiveness, and monitoring the health and safety of all stakeholders." Currently a common strategy amongst many clients is to ignore good supervision, and to load the risk and responsibility onto the contractor - getting them to choose the sites and only paying them for successful wells. This strategy drives up the prices of boreholes. 

It was very interesting to hear this talk (and many other comments), in light of the work we have been doing on the 'Basics to Groundwater' technical paper. This paper aims to build technical capacity within clients that have no scientific background - introducing them to many key principles within geology and hydrogeology. Hopefully this can be used as a tool to increase the quality and ability of clients to supervise the drilling of boreholes, and other technologies. It was also excellent to hear some very strong success stories, and positive news relating to geologists working closely with other development professionals to contribute to reducing poverty and improving lives.

Earthquake in the Himalayas

An earthquake (M6.9) struck the Himalayas yesterday, impacting areas of India, Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan. Dave Petley has written two helpful blogs on his 'Landslide Blog' site that give a good insight into the geology and impacts of this earthquake. One thing he discusses is the added effect of landslides following the earthquake. As the earthquake hit at the end of the monsoon season, the ground is already quite saturated promoting ground instability, and further wet weather is due.

L'Aquila Earthquake (2009) - The Trial Begins...

As reported a while ago, a number of scientists are to face trial in Italy for failing to correctly evaluate the risk of the L'Aquila earthquake in Italy (2009) and communicate this to the public. They are to be charged with manslaughter. The L'Aquila earthquake, measuring 6.3 on the Moment Magnitude scale, and killing over three hundred people was Italy's deadliest quake in recent times. 

This week their trial begins, and many scientists involved in hazard assessment will be watching with a keen interest and much anticipation. BBC Newsnight have produced an article discussing the trial and there is also an interesting article on Nature News by Willy Aspinall, former chief scientist at the Montserrat Volcano Observatory in the Caribbean. He highlights one of the main dangers of this trial - that experienced, knowledgeable and professionals in the field will be much more reluctant to give advice shaping policy and decisions then before - essentially making life even more difficult for town planners etc.

As the trial progresses we will continue to report the latest developments.

How Integration Can Defeat Disease & Poverty

A number of NGOs, including Tearfund, WaterAid, Action against Hunger, End Water Poverty, PATH and Action for Global Health, have recently produced an interesting piece of research called 'Join up, Scale up - How integration can defeat disease and poverty' The research highlights cases where an integrated approach across sectors produced a greater impact, than a less integrated approach. For example, water and sanitation projects being joined with health, income generation or food production projects. In one example from the Democratic Republic of Congo, a water and sanitation project was joined with a project working to end violence against women - which often occurs when women are walking to get water.

GfGD believe in a holistic approach, understanding the interactions between sectors - and it is great to read of many projects in which professionals from different sectors are communicating and working together for maximum impact. You can download the report from Tearfund's website or read their blog introducing it on Tearfund's Just Policy blog site.

Basic Guide to Groundwater: Introduction

Over the past few months I have been writing a 'Basic Guide to Groundwater' for use by those working on water and sanitation projects overseas - who have not had much technical training or had any advanced study of science. The guide is also well-suited to those who speak English, but it is not their first language - using many simple and clear diagrams to communicate the key principles of geology and hydrogeology. 

The guide is less aimed at hydrogeologists, water technicians and water engineers (who are likely to have had some training) and more aimed at those managing, contracting and supervising water projects. It will give them a basic understanding of many important questions such as where is water stored underground, what are pumping tests, how does the water table change over time and what materials make good aquifers? It is hoped that the guide will improve the quality of decision making by such people, and from that improve the quality and sustainability of community water supplies. 

The publication is currently going through the review stage, with copies being distributed to some key individuals to seek their feedback and comments. Eventually it will be freely available as a PDF from the resources page of our main website. We are actively seeking sponsors for this publication, to fund future work and resources and help us disseminate this useful guide to as wide an audience as possible. If your organisation would be interested in profiling themselves within this guide, then please get in contact via our support page to discuss this possibility.

Over the coming weeks this blog will publish some of the text and diagrams from the guide to give you a taste of the sort of things it will cover.

Newswatch - September 2011

Newswatch is a regular round up of some of the key stories relating to the geosciences and international development. This month we look at typhoon triggered landslides, the landslides in Bulambuli (Uganda), World Water Week and the crisis in the Horn of Africa.


Typhoon Triggered Landslides 
Dave Petley's Landslide Blog - hosted by the AGU - has some remarkable pictures of a landslide in Taiwan, triggered by typhoon Namadol, with one comment suggesting the landslide had a runout of 2km. It is well worth having a look at the rest of his site also - with reports from typhoon triggered landslides in Japan also.

Mt Elgon Slopes, Uganda

Uganda Landslides
Following last month's landslide in the Bulambuli area of Uganda, there have been a few reports giving updates about the situation there. One report suggests that food aid has only just reached the 800+ households affected, due to many roads being severely affected by the heavy rains. The Uganda Red Cross has managed to distribute medicine, clothes, blankets, water purifiers, mosquito nets, jerrycans and saucepans - however the need for food has been desperate as many crops were buried by the landslide. Flooding in the area, following heavy rains, has affected a wider area with widespread flooding of pit latrines - putting people at risk of water-borne diseases such as cholera.


World Water Week
Following last week's post about World Water Week here are another couple of blogs written by those who were there. The first is on the End Water Poverty blog and the second, looking at the role of the private sector, is on the Tearfund blog. 

Horn of Africa Drought & Famine
It was welcome to see the terrible situation in the Horn of Africa raised in Prime Minister's Questions yesterday, and it is to be hoped that the political will to continue addressing this crisis is maintained. For the latest information on the situation, The Guardian publish online a weekly blog outlining the funds required and received, and further information.     

World Water Week 2011

Last week was World Water Week, an annual conference held in Stockholm, where experts from across the sector gather to discuss the crucial issues relating to global water supply. Following on from last week's look back at some of this blog's water and sanitation posts - here are a few posts from other blogs covering issues raised at this years conference, and other discussions:

THE GUARDIAN: POVERTY MATTERS BLOG

"Facing up to the Global Water Crisis - Some poor, politically stable countries have made great strides in access to water supply and sanitation. Water experts meeting in Stockholm called for further improvements..."

DUNCAN GREEN: FROM POVERTY TO POWER

Duncan Green, Oxfam's Head of Research, discusses what Oxfam should be doing on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).

WATERAID

Read WaterAid's assessment of World Water Week - with blogs and videos from the event.