Following the announcement by the UK Government regarding a significant reduction in ODA funding from June 2021, BGS is currently working across NERC/UKRI and with all its partners to understand the impact on our current ODA funded projects.
The role 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 is critical to underpinning economic development.
![Participants of the CCOP-JMG-BGS Urban Geology Workshop at Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur in February 2019. BGS © UKRI.](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/20190228_113027_edit.jpg)
Participants of the CCOP-JMG-BGS Urban Geology Workshop at Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur in February 2019. BGS © UKRI.
Many of these challenges, including food and water security, urbanisation, energy poverty, resilience to natural hazards and climate change, span the interface between 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) that 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 in Tanzania](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/ODA-main-image-960x501.png)
Pumping drinking water from a shallow groundwater source. BGS © UKRI.
Our research platforms
![Rift Valley](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/feature_EA_rift_p1150807.jpg)
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.
![feature_RP2](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/feature_RP2.jpg)
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
![Pyroclastic flow engulfing a house in Monserrat](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/P063643-960x620.jpg)
Global geological risk
Our research focuses on characterising complex, multi-hazard processes with the aim of improving resilience of communities to hazards.
Relative topics
You may also be interested in
![BGS Global Geoscience](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/BGS_global_pexels_2422.jpg)
International geoscience
BGS is active across the globe delivering institutional strengthening programmes and applied research projects across a wide variety of sectors.
![Partnerships for development](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/BGS_global_p4d.jpg)
Partnerships for Development
The main aim of our Partnerships for Development work was to support our partner countries in developing sustainable extractives sectors.
Related news
![Landslide aftermath. © Timo Volz, Unsplash](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/landslide-aftermath-timo-volz-unsplash.webp)
Studying multi-hazards from space
25/07/2024
A new European Space Agency-funded project will study the effect earthquakes have on occurrences of other natural hazards in the long-term.
![The Lembang fault crosses the northern parts of Bandung city in Indonesia. BGS © UKRI.](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/the-lembang-fault.webp)
Nearly three million people in Indonesia’s second city could be affected by an earthquake
17/07/2024
BGS-led research reveals the number of people in the Bandung metropolitan region who could be exposed to a major earthquake.
![Nine people in two groups (four to the left; five to the right) standing on grey rocks with brown cliffs behind them.](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/tuscany-feature-image.jpg)
The heat beneath our feet: BGS field visit to Tuscan geothermal systems
05/07/2024
BGS visits the active and fossilised geothermal systems of southern Tuscany, Italy.
![A screenshot of the Philippine National Hydrological Model](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PNHM_feature_image.png)
Philippine National Hydrological Model
The first national-scale hydrological model of the Philippines.
![Sophia and Job at BGS conducting specialist analysis of Pu in soils.](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Job_Sophia_Lab_T-Barlow_thumbnail.jpg)
Harnessing global collaboration: UK/Kenya partnership in soil erosion research
31/05/2024
Collaboration between scientists is vital in today’s interconnected world to further scientific progress. In environmental research, issues such as soil erosion demand collaboration on an international scale.
![The aurora over Haddington, Scotland. Credit: Migle Petruskeviciute](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/aurora-over-haddington-scotland.webp)
A-roaring display
16/05/2024
The dazzling and colourful aurora borealis, or northern lights, observed by many across the UK last weekend was one of the most extreme and long-lasting geomagnetic storms recorded in the last 155 years.
![The Seabed substrate map of Iceland’s marine areas has been compiled for the country´s first comprehensive seabed substrate data set and based on the available data points (>3000) of seafloor samples (unpublished data by the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute of Iceland; Thors, 1978; Erlendsson et al., 2015, 2023). © Iceland GeoSurvey.](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/seabed-substrate-map.webp)
BGS awarded research grant to support potential offshore wind development in Iceland
13/05/2024
BGS has been awarded the NERC-Arctic grant for a collaboration project with Iceland GeoSurvey.
![CT Slice View of coral core (left) and basalt core (right) BGS © ECORD/IODP](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/CT_slice_coral.jpg)
Largest CT core scan completed at the BGS Core Scanning Facility
09/05/2024
BGS has completed its largest CT core scan project to date, with around 400 m of core imaged for the IODP Drowned Reefs project.
![Professor Jonathan Chambers. BGS © UKRI.](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/jonathon-chambers.webp)
New BGS Chief Scientist for multi-hazards and resilience announced
09/05/2024
Prof Jonathan Chambers has been appointed as the new BGS Chief Scientist for multi-hazards and resilience, effective from 1 June 2024.
![Illustrative figure to show links between the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the urban environment. Over and above SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities), urban centres can help deliver many of the UN SDGs. (Source: UN SDGs and Geological Survey of Norway, NGU.)](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/sustainability-16-02559-g002.png)
Delivering a sustainable urban future for Europe through geoscience
08/05/2024
Research, led by BGS and EuroGeoSurveys’ Urban Geology Expert Group, explores how urban geoscience is reflected in European urban and environmental policy.
![Representatives from the Serviço Geológico do Brasil and BGS at the signing event. Copyright: Rafael Sandim](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/20240303_164711_web.jpg)
BGS signs memorandum of understanding with Serviço Geológico do Brasil
10/04/2024
The partnership will advance the two organisations’ shared interests in mineral research and geoscience to help benefit society.
![IODP Expedition 389 science party members, including BGS's Margaret Stewart (second from right), discussing cores. Marley Parker @ ECORD_IODP.](https://www.bgs.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/iodp-exp-389-science-party-members.webp)
Scientists produce first record of environmental data off coast of Hawai’i
01/03/2024
An international team of researchers, including BGS geoscientists, have succeeded in acquiring a continuous record of environmental data using fossilised coral from Hawai’i.