WYN Present @ Geology for Global Development

What is the role of geoscientists in Sustainable Development? How can they make the difference? And what are the limits of a purely technical approach to the problem? These were some of the questions discussed during the “4th GfGD Annual Conference – Geology and the Sustainable Development Goals”. The event took place on November 4th, 2016 in the Geological Society of London. Two members of the Water Youth Network (WYN) attended: Lydia and Vittorio.

Geology for Global Development (GfGD) organized the event.  GfGD is an association aimed at reducing poverty by implementing projects in areas in need and educating geologists (primarily young) in the context of sustainable development. The event was an excellent example of youth involvement. Many undergraduate students from several universities in the UK joined and had the chance to get to know experiences and initiatives related to geoscience and the SDGs.

As WYN representatives, Lydia and Vittorio were pleased to attend. It was a great opportunity to learn about other inspiring projects and meet enthusiastic undergraduate students.

Picture1

The main topics addressed during the conference included:

  • Geoscience and Development: Lesson Learned and Best Practices (e.g. capacity building and projects for water supply and sanitation in developing countries);
  • Earthquakes: Risk preparedness, education,  communication and ethical perspectives;
  • Mining and the Sustainable Development Goals;
  • Opportunities to get involved (including the WYN);
  • GfGD vision and strategy for effective engagement of geoscientists in development.

First, Joel Gill (director of GfGD) and other presenters shared some experiences and ideas related to the role of geoscientists in Sustainable Development.

Then, it was time for some short presentations on initiatives in the field of Geology and the SDGs that the attendees could join. GfGD has local offices in many universities in the UK and one in Ireland. Some representatives of those university groups were there to share their experiences.

We also had the chance to explain our work. Lydia gave a short presentation on the principal activities and initiatives of the WYN, including knowledge platforms (YouKnow project), cooperation with the UN Mayor Group of Children and Youth (UNMGCY), and with the Global Water Partnership (GWP).

Picture2The interest of young attendees in the WYN was incredible, and several decided to sign up to the mailing list. It was exciting to see them looking for their ways to contribute to the SDGs.

Next, Professor Ian Stewart from Plymouth University presented an experience of earthquake risk communication with local communities in Turkey. It is always striking to see how similar the issues are when it comes to Natural Disasters, being it an earthquake, a tsunami, or a flood.

Several questions came out from this and other presentations. For example: are scientists supposed to share their knowledge on disaster risk reduction with the locals? To what extent? What would be the best way of doing so? How should risk communication be tailored to the local values, culture, and political context? Should geoscientists deal with that at all? Should they cooperate and discuss with other professionals such as social scientists in development projects?

Eventually, the trustees of GfGD including Joel Gill, Julia Hall, and Nic Bilham explained further their strategy to involve geoscientists in development projects and equip them with the tools that are not taught within a Geology degree.

Picture3The main conclusions of the conference were: the contribution of geoscientists to Sustainable Development requires a learning process, global cooperation, multidisciplinary approach, and involvement of professionals able to understand the social context. This conference was a step forward in the mobilization and understanding of global development from the perspective of geologists.

When comparing these results with personal experiences in the engineering sector, it seems that scientists in general are looking for their ways to contribute to achieving the SDGs. These ways tend to lead towards a more integrated perspective, social in the first place and technical in the second, with an increasing necessity of cooperation across technical and social disciplines.

– writen by Vittorio Nespeca