Figure 1. The UN’s sustainable Development goals (source: http://www.unfoundation.org/features/globalgoals/the-global-goals.html
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Figure 2: GFGD founder Dr Joel Gill gives the opening address on Geology and the sustainable development goals
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Trade not Aid
The opportunities are out there
- Digitising boreholes for water ain in Myanmar for Bristol GFGD
- Humanitarian and Development Mapathons (Janet Chapman, Tanzania Development Trust)
- Resilience to Volcanic Hazards in Guatemala (GfGD National Project)
- Young Scientists in Disaster Risk Reduction Platform (Lydia Cumiskey, Middlesex University London)
- Water Youth Network (Lydia Cumiskey, Middlesex University London)
- Parsquake – Earthquake Education in the Global Persian Community. Are you able to help dub earthquake education videos into another language? (Solmaz Mohadjer)
- Mining, Environmental Protection and Development; seeking those with knowledge of mining contaminants in soil (CAFOD)
- International Citizen Service: volunteer abroad in developing countries (Catherine Honour).
Hazard communication and Geologists: a help or hindrance?
This topic was addressed by Professor Stewart in his keynote on the ethics of seismic risk communication. His core theme addressed the role geologist should play in saving lives in the event of a natural hazard. He used the example of his work in Istanbul, where a large and devastating earthquake is geologically likely in the future. He explored the role of the psyche in resident’s attitudes to the seismic risk they face. In many areas of high-risk, the picture is a complex one and the situation is often politically charged. In the case of Istanbul, the demolition of ‘dangerous’ buildings in high-risk areas was negated by the construction of reportedly unaffordable, earthquake-proof housing. Many residents believed that seismic risk was being used as a political tool to remove them from their neighbourhoods.
Earthquake comms must follow seismic cycle: actionable advice during quake & ongoing outreach in interseismic. @Profiainstewart #GfGDConf pic.twitter.com/kgwvBfQnGK— Emily White (@EmilyDaisy72) November 4, 2016
Here my far-from-exhaustive summary ends. To finish would like to thoroughly encourage any geologists (or geologists-in-training) to get involved with GFGD. It was a really insightful day organised by a very deserving charity.
This blog is written by Cabot Institute member Keri McNamara, a PhD student in the School of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol.