Geoscience for Sustainable Futures

Whether at the scale of a field, a village, a city, a country, or a continent, geology is fundamental to understanding human-environment interactions and delivering the UN SDGs. This project will, for the first time, integrate BGS research on groundwater, soils, minerals, energy, urban planning, environmental modelling, and geohazards. Such an approach will deliver applied science that positively impacts on lives, livelihoods, and the natural environment. Three interlinked Research Platforms (RPs) will help address the development needs of up to 13 countries on the DAC list of ODA recipients (our ODA partners). Key to success is research co-designed and delivered with our partners, sharing experience and building capacity to ensure effective knowledge and data exchange. We aim to leave behind a long-term legacy of UK-international interdisciplinary research networks. Eastern Africa (RP1) faces severe natural resource challenges due to exponential population growth, rapid urbanisation, and economic development. BGS has strong and diverse research experience in this region. We will build on this to address the responsible use of natural resources by: (i) quantifying how climate and human stressors impact water resources and identifying the appropriate water abstraction technologies and how these are governed to ensure they remain functional in the long term; (ii) enhancing the understanding of the mineral and energy resource potential in the region to facilitate informed policy development, support effective governance mechanisms, and aid inward investment; and (iii) using geological science to increase agricultural productivity and tackle micronutrient deficiencies by carrying out research linking bedrock geology and minerals to soil type thus informing decisions on improving soil quality, use of fertilisers, water retention, and plant nutrition. Asian cities (RP2) are exposed to multiple natural hazards, the pace of urbanisation is often overwhelming and their resilience to environmental change unknown. Our research will: (i) identify how innovative use of data-informatics, sensor technologies, and modelling systems can improve urban planning; (ii) assess the effect of multiple environmental and demographic stresses on the city and its rural catchment, and the extent to which further urbanisation can be sustained; and (iii) determine inter-dependencies between human and Earth systems in cities, and whether this understanding can be used to make city services more resilient. Natural geological hazards and their associated risk (RP3), including volcanoes, earthquakes, and landslides, and their impacts, are of key concern to long-term economic growth. Our research, focused on Latin America and the Caribbean, and the regions covered by RPs 1 and 2, will: (i) advance research into environmental processes and the interactions of multi-hazards (e.g., an earthquake triggering landslides); (ii) develop and utilise novel data collection, monitoring, and communication/ visualisation techniques to improve disaster resilience; and (iii) build on our humanitarian assistance activities, and long-term planning experience to co-develop proactive systems to support NGOs, governments and mandated authorities when geohazards occur. Research will be co-designed using participatory workshops. It will aim to build sustainable networks of scientists, policy makers, NGOs, and communities. The long-term benefits of this research are knowledge exchange and its contribution to achieving the SDGs. Throughout the project, the RPs will act as a catalyst for BGS and UK-based research applications to GCRF, Newton, Royal Society and other funds. It is anticipated that leveraged and parallel funding will provide the principle mechanism to support project partners. Other return benefits to the UK research community will include advances in interdisciplinary understanding of human-Earth systems, open-access data, and new research partnerships.