Geoscience engagement in global development frameworks

During 2015, the international community agreed three socio-environmental global development frameworks, the: (i) Sustainable Development Goals, (ii) Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and (iii) Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Each corresponds to important interactions between environmental processes and society. Here we synthesize the role of geoscientists in the delivery of each framework, and explore the meaning of and justification for increased geoscience engagement (active participation). We first demonstrate that geoscience is fundamental to successfully achieving the objectives of each framework. We proceed to characterize four types of geoscience engagement (framework design, promotion, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation), and present examples of engagement within the scope of the geoscience community. In the context of this characterization, we discuss: (i) our ethical responsibility to engage with these frameworks, noting the emphasis on societal cooperation within the Cape Town Statement on Geoethics; and (ii) the need for increased and higher quality engagement, including an improved understanding of the science-policy-practice interface. Facilitating increased engagement is necessary if we are to maximize geoscience’s positive impact on global development

Geology and the sustainable development goals

This paper presents an overview and visualisation of the role of geology in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These internationally-agreed goals aim to eradicate global poverty, end unsustainable consumption patterns, and facilitate sustained and inclusive growth, social development, and environmental protection. Through a matrix visualisation, this paper presents a synthesis that relates the 17 agreed SDGs to 11 key aspects of geology. Aspects considered are agrogeology, climate change, energy, engineering geology, geohazards, geoheritage and geotourism, hydrogeology and contaminant geology, mineral and rock resources, geoeducation, geological capacity building, and a miscellaneous category. The matrix demonstrates that geologists have a role in achieving all 17 of the SDGs. Three topics relating to improved engagement by geologists with international development are then highlighted for discussion. These are the development of supporting skills in education, improving transnational research collaborations, and ensuring respectful capacity building initiatives. This synthesis can help mobilise the broader geology community to engage in the SDGs, allowing those working on specific aspects of geology to consider their work in the context of sustainable development. The contribution that geologists can make to sustainable development is also demonstrated to other relevant disciplines, and development policy and practitioner communities

The role of earth and environmental science in addressing sustainable development priorities in Eastern Africa

Here we synthesise the results of three participatory workshops to explore sustainable development priorities in eastern Africa, and discuss these in the context of Earth and environmental science. The planet is a core pillar of sustainable development, and the engagement of Earth and environmental scientists is vital to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In 2017, the British Geological Survey gathered 76 delegates from 48 organisations at three workshops in Nairobi (Kenya), Lusaka (Zambia), and Dar es Salaam (Tanzania). Using the SDGs as a reference tool, participants (i) identified development priorities at regional (eastern Africa) and national scales, (ii) explored the Earth and environmental science research and data needs to help address these, and (iii) co-designed relevant science-for-development projects. Participants identified sustainable development priorities to be basic (or immediate) needs, including zero hunger (SDG 2), education (SDG 4), ending poverty (SDG 1), and water and sanitation (SDG 6). Participants also described examples of Earth and environmental science research, training, technologies, monitoring and management to support sustainable development. Emerging themes included environmental data (collection, management, integration, access), policy and regulations (integrating environmental science, and policy coherence), resource management (degradation, pollution and environmental protection), and scientific education and understanding (training, knowledge exchange, public understanding of science). A comparative synthesis of existing regional and national development strategies indicates that current narratives of development interventions do not fully capture the opportunities from environmental data integration and policy coherence. Greater engagement with and by the Earth and environmental science community could help to advance these themes to support sustainable development in eastern Africa. This would support efforts to reduce environmental degradation, improve natural resource management, and inform the utilisation of natural resources to improve economic growth and social wellbeing

Workshop Report: Multi-Hazard Risk Scenarios for Tomorrow’s Cities

Each of the four focus cities within the Tomorrow's Cities Hub is affected by multiple, potentially interrelated, natural hazards. Known case studies also highlight contexts where events may occur simultaneously or consecutively, thus contributing to disaster risk through changes to the hazard landscape, exposure, or vulnerability, during the scenario. This report summarises the contents and discussions of two 60-minute virtual workshops (30 July 2020, 40 participants; 6 August 2020, 35 participants) delivered by the multi-hazards integrating theme for the Tomorrow's Cities consortium. Our aims in the workshops were the following: • To introduce the multi-hazards integrating theme; and • To explore the relevance of multi-hazard approaches and scenarios in the Tomorrow's Cities project

Invited Perspective: Building sustainable and resilient communities – Recommended actions for natural hazard scientists

Reducing disaster risk is critical to securing the ambitions of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and natural hazard scientists make a key contribution to achieving this aim. Understanding Earth processes and dynamics underpins hazard analysis, which (alongside analysis of other disaster risk drivers) informs the actions required to manage and reduce disaster risk. Here we suggest how natural hazard research scientists can better contribute to the planning and development of sustainable and resilient communities through improved engagement in disaster risk reduction (DRR). Building on existing good practice, this perspective piece aims to provoke discussion in the natural hazard science community about how we can strengthen our engagement in DRR. We set out seven recommendations for enhancing the integration of natural hazard science into DRR: (i) characterise multi-hazard environments, (ii) prioritise effective, positive, long-term partnerships, (iii) understand and listen to your stakeholders, (iv) embed cultural understanding into natural hazards research, (v) ensure improved and equitable access to hazards information, (vi) champion people-centred DRR (leaving no one behind), and (vii) improve links between DRR and sustainable development. We then proceed to synthesise key actions that natural hazards scientists and research funders should consider taking to improve education, training, and research design, and to strengthen institutional, financial and policy actions. We suggest that these actions should help to strengthen the effective application of natural hazards science to reduce disaster risk. By recognising and taking steps to address the issues raised in these recommendations, we propose that the natural hazard science community can more effectively contribute to the inter/transdisciplinary, integrated work required to improve DR

Geoscience for Sustainable Futures : our journey towards impact

This report describes the BGS Geoscience for Sustainable Futures (GSF) National Capability (NC)/Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme. It used ODA funding to advance collaborative geoscience research and innovation to address challenges in lower- and middle-income countries. We describe the programme’s progress towards achieving lasting change (‘impact’) in the contexts where activities were carried out. These activities were organised into projects under three research platforms (RPs) focusing on different development issues and working in different regions: • RP1: integrated resource management in eastern Africa (addressing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2, 3, 6 and 12) • RP2: resilience of Asian cities (SDGs 6, 11 and 13) • RP3: global geological risk (SDGs 1, 9 and 11) For each platform, a ‘Theory of Change’ (ToC) approach was used to plan and navigate the pathway to impact. This approach requires first analysing the institutional and environmental context of the location being considered, so that an impact objective may be defined. From this, the behaviour and capacity changes (‘outcomes’) that are expected to lead to that impact are identified. Those outcomes will rely on outputs such as reports, policy briefing notes, databases and web portals, which are produced by various activities, such as workshops, research and conference attendance. An idealised ToC is shown in Figure 1. The theories of change developed during the programme in this report are significantly more complex. As of 27 May 2022, the programme’s outputs include: • 96 peer-review journal articles • 42 reports • 8 book chapters • 15 maps • 14 technical products, databases and datasets • 4 webtools Around 200 engagement activities have also been undertaken. To assess how much progress the RPs have made towards producing outcomes and impact, ‘impact narratives’ were prepared for each project and analysed to determine the types of outcome that had emerged or were emerging as of August 2021: • conceptual: changes in knowledge, understanding and attitudes • capacity (skills) strengthening: increased ability (of individuals and organisations) to conduct similar work in future • enduring connectivity: changes to the existence and strength of networks of people and one-to-one relationships, and organisations who understand and can make use of the research • instrumental: changes in policy and practice While it is possible to point to many positive outcomes arising from the GSF programme (Table 1), we recognise the journey to impact is not yet over. The knowledge, skills and relationships developed will potentially contribute to further outcomes and impact after the programme ends. Maximising this potential impact will depend on the steps taken by BGS staff and our partners in the coming months and years. Numerous lessons have been learned during the programme about doing impact-focused research and using ToC. They point to the need for greater input from partners in: • developing theories of change • detailed stakeholder mapping • emphasising knowledge brokering activities • clear indicators of progress towards impact that can be monitored both during a project and after it end

New partnerships for co-delivery of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development

Partnerships have become a corner stone of contemporary research that recognizes working across disciplines and co-production with intended users as essential to enabling sustainable resilience-building. Furthermore, research that addresses sustainable development challenges brings an urgent need to reflect on the ways that partnerships are supported, and for the disaster risk management and resilience communities, efforts to support realization of the wider 2030 Agenda for sustainable development bring particular pressures. In November 2019, the UK Disasters Research Group (DRG) brought together a number of key stakeholders focused on disaster risk, resilience, and sustainability research relevant to Official Development Assistance to consider how fit for purpose existing partnership models are for the pace of change required to deliver the priorities of the wider 2030 Agenda. Participants were invited to discuss how research partnerships across three levels (individual and project-based; national and institutional; and international) could be improved based on elements that facilitate robust partnerships and learning from aspects that hinder them. From the discussions, participants emphasized the importance of effective communication mechanisms in building partnerships, co-designing projects, and establishing shared objectives. Enhanced approaches to addressing equitable partnerships and funding more substantive timelines will be key to responding to the challenges of the 2030 Agenda

Impact of organic pollutants from urban slum informal settlements on sustainable development goals and river sediment quality, Nairobi, Kenya, Africa

The UN Sustainable Development Goals highlight the myriad of socio-economic and environmental challenges occurring as a result of anthropogenic chemical pollution. Urban sediments from informal settlements (slums) on the Nairobi, Ngong and Mathare Rivers (n = 25), were evaluated for sediment quality. Microtox bioassay identified 8 sites as toxic, 9 as moderately toxic and 8 as non-toxic. Slum sediments were characterised by high total organic carbon and Rock-Eval pyrolysis revealed bound carbon from a mix of raw sewage and domestic refuse. Sediments from Kiambio, Kibera, Mathare and Kawangware slums contained high coprostanol at 55–298 μg/g and epicoprostanol at 3.2–21.7 μg/g confirming appreciable incorporation of untreated human faeces. Hormones, antianalgeiscs, antiinflamatories, antiepileptics and antibiotics most affected Mathare > Kiambio > Kibera > Mukuru > Kawangware slums. Carbamazepine, ibuprofen, diclofenac and acetaminophen concentrations are amongst the highest reported in Kenyan river sediments and were positively correlated with faecal steroids (sewage). Common persistent organic pollutants, such as organochlorine insecticides ΣDDT 1–59 μg/kg, mean 21.2 μg/kg, Σ16PAH 182–2218 μg/kg, mean 822 μg/kg and Σ30 PCB 3.1–157.1 μg/kg, mean of 21.4 μg/kg were between probable effect likely and unlikely sediment quality guidelines (SQG). PAH source ratios and parent to alkyl-PAH distribution suggested vehicle exhaust, power stations (heavy oil), kerosene (cooking oil) and other pollution sources. Trace metal concentrations As, Cd, Cr, Hg and Ni were below SQG whereas Pb exceeded the SQG. This multi-contaminant characterisation of sediment quality in Nairobi supports the development and implementation of policies to improve urban infrastructure to protect ecological and human health. It demonstrates the need for environmental geochemists to engage in the science-policy interface associated with both global and national development frameworks, with particular reference to the Sustainable Development Goals, New Urban Agenda, and Kenya’s Vision 2030

Effects of two contrasting canopy manipulations on growth and water use of London plane (Platanus x acerifolia) trees

Aims: Two contrasting canopy manipulations were compared to unpruned controls on London plane trees, to determine the effects on canopy regrowth, soil and leaf water relations. Methods: ‘Canopy reduction’, was achieved by removing the outer 30 % length of all major branches and ‘canopy thinning’, by removing 30 % of lateral branches arising from major branches. Results: Total canopy leaf areas recovered within two and three years of pruning for the canopy-thinned and reduced trees respectively. Canopy reduction increased mean leaf size, nitrogen concentration, canopy leaf area density and conserved soil moisture for up to 3 years, whereas canopy thinning had no effects. Another experiment compared more severe canopy reduction to unpruned trees. This produced a similar growth response to the previous experiment, but soil moisture was conserved nearer to the trunk. Analysis of 13C and 18O signals along with leaf water relations and soil moisture data suggested that lower boundary layer conductance within the canopy-reduced trees restricted tree water use, whereas for the canopy-thinned trees the opposite occurred. Conclusions: Only canopy reduction conserved soil moisture and this was due to a combination of reduced total canopy leaf area and structural changes in canopy architecture