Not many people know that, a few decades ago, the International Geoscience Programme contributed to the creation of medical geology, a discipline which seeks to understand the impact of the natural environment on health.

Today, several research projects supported by the International Geoscience Programme focus on medical geology.  With arsenic affecting the health of 140 million people worldwide, one project is studying the impact of arsenic on communities in Bolivia. Contained in rocks and soil, arsenic can be transported by water. Long-term exposure to arsenic in drinking water and food can cause cancer and skin lesions. 

A second project deciphered the origin of high sulfate and nitrate concentrations in the Ali-Sabieh aquifer in Djibouti which were causing methemoglobinemia, or the ‘blue baby’ phenomenon. This project was implemented by the Centre for Studies and Research of Djibouti in collaboration with geoscientists from the Republic of Korea and UNESCO.

Like all research conducted through the International Geoscience Programme, these projects were supported jointly by UNESCO and the International Union of Geological Sciences.

When people think of geological sciences, they don’t tend to associate them with health but the profession is increasingly adopting a focus on sustainability and human and animal wellbeing.  Professor Hassina Mouri from the University of Johannesburg in South Africa explained at the conference that she trained as a metamorphic geologist before switching to medical geology ‘because I wanted to contribute to reaching the Sustainable Development Goals’.

‘We do geology because we want to create a safe and healthy planet’, observed Professor John Ludden, President of the International Union of Geological Sciences, at the conference. To drive sustainability, however, ‘we still need to understand our dynamic Earth better’, he added.

These two imperatives are not mutually exclusive. In seismology, for instance, there has been a shift towards not just understanding geological hazards but also the ways in which these hazards might affect people. One project is striving to improve both geological knowledge and the assessment of seismic risk for populations living in the Transmexican Volcanic Belt covering central and southern Mexico and, secondly, over the Northern South American Plate Boundary, which stretches from Ecuador to Colombia and Venezuela.

‘Let’s develop the geoscience we need for the world we want’, urged Xing Qu, Deputy Director-General of UNESCO, in his opening address.

There is no lack of challenges. How many buildings have unstable foundations caused by geological factors, for instance? The Citadel of Qaitbay is a defensive fortress that was built in the late 15^th century on the site of the Pharos lighthouse in Alexandria, Egypt. A research project supported by the International Geoscience Programme is studying the effect of erosion caused by the action of underground springs on the building’s foundations.

Geoscientists play a vital role in locating and managing water underground, which flows through the rock in what is known as aquifers. Shallow groundwater is becoming an increasingly vital source of freshwater, as lakes and rivers shrink in many parts of the world as a consequence of a hotter, drier climate. So far, some 468 aquifers have been found to stretch across the border of two or more countries but there are probably more.

Geoscience can help to reduce carbon emissions by developing geothermal energy. However, only a minority of countries currently use this source of energy to generate electricity. The number could be much higher, since geothermal energy is found everywhere on Earth. What is holding many countries back is the expense and complexity of extracting the heat that circulates underground in the form of hot water. This hot water can be found at a depth of about 500 m but, in some countries, you may have to drill as deep as 5 000 m to reach it.

That is why international co-operation is so important. Geoscientists in countries with more sophisticated equipment can work with their peers in developing countries to find solutions adapted to the local context. Some 43% of researchers supported by UNESCO’s International Geoscience Programme come from developing countries.

‘This is the most exciting time to be a geologist because you can really make a difference,’ remarked Lisa Rebora, Senior Vice-President of Emerging and Future Business at Equinor, a Norwegian company which is developing carbon capture and storage. ‘Some 80% of energy still comes from fossil fuels. It is going to take every hand on deck to reduce this ratio to 20% by 2050.’

She added that, ‘currently, 65 million people work in the energy sector. By 2050, half are going to have to transition to renewable and low-carbon sources of energy.’

One of the reasons why university enrollment in geosciences is falling in many countries is that ‘young people are put off by the prospect of working in oil and gas or mining’, observed Professor Iain Stewart, UNESCO Chair in Geosciences for Society and Professor of Geoscience Communication at the University of Plymouth in the UK, as well as El Hassan bin Talal Research Chair in Sustainability at the Royal Scientific Society in Jordan. ‘We need to explain to young people that career options exist today in geoscience that put people and planet first’.

For Professor Stewart, ‘geoscience needs to look beyond the important immediate concerns of the energy transition and the low-carbon economy to embrace a more radical “sustainable geoscience” agenda that tackles the broader critical sustainable development challenges, particularly around zero hunger, no poverty and good health’.

He is one of the authors of Geoscience in Action: Advancing Sustainable Development a practical guide developed by a team from the American Geophysical Union (AGU) led by Dr Maria Angela Capello which showcases different ways in which geoscientists are contributing to sustainability. One case study describes how geoscientists worked with authorities in India to use overflow from floodplains to alleviate Delhi’s water shortages. The guide was published jointly by UNESCO and AGU.

Although geodiversity and geoheritage are integral parts of geoscience, they are still novel concepts in Africa. ‘That is why the International Geoscience and Geoparks Programme is preparing the groundwork for the development of geoparks in Africa by providing training in how to develop an inventory of geoheritage and evaluate candidate sites’, explained Dr Ozlem Adiyaman Lopes, Programme Specialist at UNESCO.

At the conference, Dr Rokhaya Samba Diene, President of the Organisation African Geological Services, expressed the hope that UNESCO would keep training staff from African geological surveys about the geopark concept. She stressed the need for decision-makers and the general public to realize that geodiversity underpinned our very survival on this planet. The best way to raise awareness would be to create more geoparks in Africa, she said. There are currently two geoparks in Africa.

The priority for Dr Nabil Mohamed Ahmed, Minister of Higher Education and Research of the Republic of Djibouti, was for geoscientists in East Africa to collaborate more through a regional research programme. He invited UNESCO to support geoscientists from East Africa who might be interested in collaborating with the Regional Observatory for Research on the Environment and Climate Change, which opened in Djibouti last November. The aim would be to encourage partnerships and networking, with emphasis on training scientists and students and facilitating their mobility.

Prof. Geertje Schuitema from University College Dublin in Ireland made the case for designing training courses which brought geologists and social scientists together. It would be wrong to assume that local communities automatically accept options proposed for their energy transition, she said, making it important to listen to their point of view. An environmental psychologist, she is Director of the Researching Social Theories, Resources and Environment (ReSToRE) International Summer School run under the patronage of UNESCO, which facilitates a global, multidisciplinary discussion on how to reconcile different viewpoints about the most astute way to use the Earth’s resources.

Food for thought – and just some of the many ideas shared at the conference that could help to chart a course for the next 50 years of UNESCO’s International Geoscience Programme.

These ideas will add to those of ‘thought leaders’ interviewed by Professor Stewart and posted in the form of a blog as part of a project on the future of geoscience supported by the International Geoscience Programme.