An article about Geology for Global Development written by GfGD Director, Joel Gill, appears in this year’s IUGS-GEM newsletter.
The international union of geological sciences (IUGS) has a commission on Geoscience for Environmental Management (GEM). GEM comprises working groups covering dust, gold and mercury, land subsidence and groundwater, man made strata and geopollution, drinking water and natural hazards and territorial sustainability.
Joel introduces the IUGS-GEM readers to GfGD (page 13), describing the founding principles of GfGD, our current work and our future plans.
“It is important that geosciences students should be aware of the wide range of ways in which they can help people and the environment. But they also need to be aware of the need to respect cultural and social norms in other parts of the world. The best way to learn about these issues is to visit people and places that experience them.”
The same newsletter also contains a report on one of the international placements GfGD was following last summer (page 15). Laura Westoby spent the summer mapping hazards on the foothills of Mt Merapi, in Indonesia, as part of her Master’s project at the University of Leicester. Laura was employing good geoscience to Master’s research level, but also working within a local community with a range of stakeholders. It is clear from reading Laura’s report that she not only learnt a great deal but also had a fantastic experience.
GfGD supports and encourages placements such as Laura’s. Good geoscience should know no boundaries – especially not international ones.
You can read the newsletter here: http://www.lgt.lt/images/LGT_leidiniai/GEM-News%202013-19.pdf
Bárbara Ferreira
This reminds me I have been meaning to invite GfGD to contribute to the EGU newsletter and have not yet done it! Would you be keen to write a piece for the External News section of GeoQ? Get in touch at media[at]egu.eu.