Eastern Africa faces severe natural resource challenges due to exponential population growth, rapid urbanisation and economic development. Our current activities build on the BGS’s strong and diverse research experience in this region, contributing to welfare and future economic growth by the responsible use of natural resources. Principal research includes:
- quantifying how climate shocks and human stressors impact on water resources and identifying the appropriate water abstraction technologies and how these are governed to ensure they remain functional in the long term
- 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
- 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 (‘hidden hunger’) in vulnerable communities
Our research
Improving and ensuring the security of international groundwater resources
Investigating multi-stressor pressures and natural controls on the security of water resources in Africa and corresponding effects.
Quantifying hydrological change in Uganda
Our research is producing new proxy time series for hydrological change in Uganda over the last 2000 years using lake isotope records.
Mineral fertilisers for food security
BGS research will investigate the potential for indigenous mineral deposits being used to produce a cost-effective source of fertiliser nutrients to increase yields on smallholder farms.
Improving knowledge of emerging contaminants in the urban environment
We are working with partners at the University of Nairobi to undertake a baseline survey of emerging contaminants in two contrasting rivers of Nairobi.
Quantifying environmental impacts of gold mining
Lake Victoria, and the rivers that feed into it, is an important source of drinking water and food for the densely populated rural region of southwest Kenya.
Understanding critical metals in post-collisional and extensional settings in eastern Africa
Our research is enhancing the understanding of the location, extent and geometallurgy of critical-metal resources in eastern Africa, their regional prospectivity and potential to contribute to economic development.
The geoscience research priorities of the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Stakeholder workshops have drawn together representatives from five eastern African countries to determine how geological science can help support sustainable-development priorities in eastern Africa.
A collaborative partnering approach towards African geodata
Working in partnership with the African Union Commission and the Ugandan Chamber of Mines and Petroleum, BGS facilitated a workshop in Entebbe, Uganda.
Informatics to inform science and underpin policy
BGS are responsible for the professional curation of the large volumes of digital and analogue data produced during past UK Government-funded ODA projects.
Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe: agriculture and health
Strengthening African capacity in soil geochemistry to inform agriculture and health policies.
You may also be interested in
International geoscience
BGS is active across the globe delivering institutional strengthening programmes and applied research projects across a wide variety of sectors.
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.