Engagement of earth sciences in providing solutions to the major challenges recognised in the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) is critical to underpinning economic development.
Participants of the Malaysian JMG-BGS Working Group meeting on 2D & 3D geological ground modelling © UKRI
Many of these challenges, including food and water security, urbanisation, energy poverty, resilience to natural hazards, and climate change span the interface between the Earth and human systems.
For example, understanding the effects on both human welfare and the environment of the exploration, analysis, and extraction of natural resources (energy, water, minerals and food) is critical to promote security of supply. Similarly, understanding dynamic natural earth hazards (landslides, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions) which directly affect lives and livelihoods and pose major welfare challenges also requires informed citizens and effective communications to deliver better preparedness and resilience to sudden change.
Our vision and research themes
Working collaboratively with countries on the DAC list of ODA recipients, the 2017–2020 BGS ODA programme builds upon and integrates our recent and ongoing research on:
- groundwater
- soils
- minerals
- energy
- urban planning
- environmental modelling
- geohazards
- catchments and observatories
Our vision is to deliver new research, underpinning datasets and capacity building via three research platforms working across 13 countries. Our engagement will be participatory, characterised by a collaborative approach, with the research being co-designed and developed with stakeholders to address development priorities and need.
We will seek to build new links with the UK research base and use our platforms to support bids into Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) and Newton Fund opportunities.
Pumping drinking water from a shallow groundwater source ©UKRI
Our research platforms
Integrated resource management in Eastern Africa
Our current activities build on the BGS’s extensive research experience in this region, contributing to welfare and future economic growth by the responsible use of natural resources.
Resilience of Asian cities
Our research aims to improve city resilience by integrating geology into urban subsurface planning and urban-catchment science in India and south-east Asia
Global geological risk
Our research focuses on characterising complex, multi-hazard processes with the aim of improving resilience of communities to hazards.
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Global geoscience
The BGS is active across the globe delivering institutional strengthening programmes and applied research projects across a wide variety of sectors.
Partnerships for development
The main aim of our Partnerships for Development work is to support our partner countries in developing sustainable extractives sectors.