Siân Hodgkins graduated from Cardiff University with a Master’s degree in Environmental Geoscience. Siân took part in a Geology for Global Development placement over Christmas, writing a literature review on landslides in the Ladakh region of the Himalayas. The report will soon by published on our website (open access). Here, Siân writes about her own trip to Ladakh last year, and the effect ...[Read More]
Geology for Global Development
Friday Photo (114) – Aggregate Mining
Aggregate Mining in Rio San Francisco (Panajachel, Guatemala) The Rio San Francisco flows through Panajachel, one of the largest towns around Lake Atitlan, into the lake. In the current dry season, there is very little water, and you can see mining for aggregates occurring. Credit: Joel Gill (2014)
GfGD Conferences – Help Us!
Do you remember our National Conference, in October 2013? It was a great event, gathering over 150 people from across the UK and beyond to explore how geologists can help fight global poverty. Don’t forget, you can find a series of photographs from the event on our Facebook page. Whether you attended this event or not, we’re keen to gather some information that will help us shape and p ...[Read More]
Eruption of Mount Sinabung and Poverty Reduction
Last week Mount Sinabung, an active volcano on the island of Sumatra (Indonesia), erupted killing at least 16 people. It is reported that a number of the deaths were people going back into the evacuated zone to see the eruption up close and to check on properties and land. This is a sad reminder of the power of volcanic processes and their lethal potential (see the images on the BBC News), partic ...[Read More]
Friday Photo (113) – Wall Art in San Pablo la Laguna, Guatemala
San Pablo La Laguna is a small town on the edge of Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. This wall art shows local opposition to mining activities. At the time of writing I’m not sure about the background context to the image, but it raises some interesting questions about what is occurring or has occurred in this area in the past. Credit: Joel Gill (2014)
Field Research in Guatemala (3) – Environmental Hazards at Lake Atitlan
Today Joel Gill (GfGD Founding Director) continues his live reporting from Guatemala, whilst undertaking interdisciplinary field research relating to natural hazards and disaster risk reduction. This fieldwork forms part of a NERC/ESRC funded PhD, supervised by staff in the Department of Geography at King’s College London. Lake Atitlan is a beautiful location, created by a significant volcanic er ...[Read More]
Guest Blog: Death By Corruption
Ekbal Hussain is a PhD student at the University of Leeds, and helps to coordinate our group up there. He is a passionate advocate for disaster risk reduction and today writes about the relationship between corruption and earthquake fatalities. It is no profound statement to say that earthquakes are extremely dangerous natural events and are responsible for tens of thousands of deaths annually. Wh ...[Read More]
Friday Photo (112) – Volcano San Pedro, Guatemala
Volcanoes at Lake Atitlan, Guatemala In the foreground is the volcano San Pedro, on the south-western shore of Lake Atitlan. San Pedro (approx 3000m) is believed to be extinct, but Atitlan (in the background is dormant). Credit: Joel Gill, Geology for Global Development (2014)
Field Research in Guatemala (2) – Observing and Understanding Place
Over the next couple of months, Joel Gill (GfGD Founding Director) will be reporting live from Guatemala, whilst undertaking interdisciplinary field research relating to natural hazards and disaster risk reduction. This fieldwork forms part of a NERC/ESRC funded PhD, supervised by staff in the Department of Geography at King’s College London. One of the first things I want to do when arriving in ...[Read More]
Diamonds aren’t Forever
Boom & Bust in the Namib Desert Namibia is mostly desert. Like its neighbour South Africa, the country was gifted with diamond-bearing Kimberlites. The Sperrgebiet (or “forbidden territory”), where the diamonds are concentrated, is strictly off-limits to the public. Namibia’s natural resources have played an important role in shaping the development of this inhospitable landscape. ...[Read More]