Publication
New guide explains how sustainability focus could resolve geoscience’s identity crisis
It is estimated that there are more than 400 000 geoscientists worldwide. The profession is, nevertheless, going through an identity crisis. University enrollment in geology courses is declining in many countries. There is a sense that the profession needs to find a new purpose that is more in tune with evolving societal needs and the expectations of budding scientists.
Consequently, appointments to academic posts in sustainability geoscience are becoming more common, traditional petroleum geology courses are being re-branded as geo-energy courses and many mining geology courses are now encompassing natural resource management. In industry, fossil-fuel and mining companies are beginning to extend their renewable energy and new minerals portfolios and to reskill their staff in sustainability thinking.
Geoscience in Action is one of the outputs of a research project within UNESCO’s International Geoscience Programme which mapped geoscience disciplines, methods and tools to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Written by leading geoscientists from across the globe, it seeks to inspire geoscientists everywhere to give more focus to advancing sustainability by showcasing case studies of how geoscience is already addressing climate change and other global challenges. In Delhi, India, for instance, geoscientists have worked with regional civil servants to alleviate the city’s water shortage by utilizing overflow from floodplains; this approach, which is much more economical and rerouting the water supply from nearby regions, has become a model for other riverine cities.
The litmus test for each geoscience research project: will it benefit society?
One of the main criteria for the International Geoscience Programme’s endorsement of collaborative research projects submitted by geoscientists for funding is whether the project will benefit society. The programme has a strong focus on social justice and inclusion, investing as it does in training and knowledge-sharing between scientists, with emphasis on those in the developing world, early career scientists and women. Almost a decade ago now, UNESCO participated in the formulation of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals because it knew from experience that the shared objectives of this agenda could best be achieved through global collective action.
New projects in UNESCO’s Earth science portfolio explore themes such as the need to teach people how to use their geoheritage sustainably. How many people are aware of the looming supply risk for about half of the 90 natural elements (in the Periodic Table) which make up everything on Earth and form the bedrock of our societies? How many people realize that more than 60 minerals go into the average smartphone?
‘Geoscience charts a path for our future’
Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, recalls in her Foreword to Geoscience in Action that ‘geoscience tells a tale of the past, while charting a path for our future. It is not only about minerals, fossils and rocks. It also encompasses fields such as Earth resources and hydrogeology – essential in a world affected by climate disruption’.
We need more geoscientists to be part of the decisions shaping our future. Geoscience in Action not only explains why – it also shows us how.
