Wednesday, June 21, 2017


A new book on groundwater management by an IAPG member


Now available:

BETTER GROUNDWATER GOVERNANCE ONLY CAN ENSURE SUSTAINED WATER SUPPLY
by Partha Sarathi Datta

LAP Lambert Academic Publishing (2017-05-26), pag. 100, ISBN-13: 978-3-330-32219-6.
Website: https://www.lap-publishing.com/catalog/details//store/gb/book/978-3-330-32219-6/better-groundwater-governance-only-can-ensure-sustained-water-supply

Description: 
All countries are confronted with water scarcity of varying types. The daunting biggest challenge for the authorities is in protecting groundwater from depletion and pollution, and making sound managing decisions on complex issues/activities that may affect water supply at local and basin scale. For short-term situation management when water supplies are affected, the managers usually adopt approaches, which involve eliminating immediate, unacceptable impacts on human and the environment, groundwater-use restrictions, regulation, balancing time and resources. However, these may require more research, time, regulations, funding, technology, etc., and be expensive/complex. This book identifies the issues that affect water supply; and makes scientific endeavors to improve all stakeholders’ awareness and understanding of real groundwater problems, and suggests governance approaches by relevant policies, with strong peoples’ participation efforts by behavioral change. The analysis may be especially useful to professionals in water governance and communication for long-term solutions to ensure sustained water supply, implementing water resources protection strategies for public benefit.

Author:
Partha Sarathi Datta has a professional experience in geosciences of forty years. 
Currently, he is an Independent Consultant on water and environment from July 2012. 
During the past decades, he held positions as Project Director (NRL/IARI), Professor and Principal Scientist (Hydrology) at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi (1988 - 2012); Scientist In-Charge (Technology Assessment) at NISTADS, CSIR, in New Delhi (1985-1988), working as Member Secretary of the High Level Technical Committee on Hydrology for the Government of India, in the context of the International Hydrological Program (IHP/UNESCO), and in the Asian Regional Coordination Committee on Hydrology (UNESCO) at the National Institute of Hydrology, in Roorkee (1983- 1985); Scientist of the International Hydrological Program Unit (CSIR), in New Delhi (1979-1983); and Visiting Scientist at Physical Research Laboratory, in Ahmedabad (1975-1979).
Partha Sarathi Datta is member of the IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics.


IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics: 
http://www.geoethics.org

Thursday, June 15, 2017


The issue #2 - 2017 of the IAPG Newsletter is out!


Summary:

- Congresses (Slides, posters and photos from EGU 2017; Call for abstracts on geoethics in Morocco and Nepal; updating on RFG 2018)
- Cape Town Statement on Geoethics: news (good news from SGI and GfGD)
- New national Sections (IAPG-Pakistan)
- New Task Group ("Responsible Mining")
- Affiliations/Agreements (IAH, IUGS-IFG, GfGD)
- From national Sections (news from Egypt, Ukraine, Portugal, Peru, United Kingdom, Pakistan)  
- From IAPG Blog (articles by authors from Nigeria, Malawi and Canada)
- From our community (articles by authors from Italy, Switzerland and USA) 
- Donations


Download the IAPG Newsletter #2 - 2017 at: 
http://www.geoethics.org/newsletter


IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics: 
http://www.geoethics.org

Monday, June 12, 2017




IAPG Task Group on Responsible Mining


An IAPG Task Group on Responsible Mining (TGRM) has been formed on 8 May 2017 and officially appointed by the IAPG Secretary General, Silvia Peppoloni.
The goal of the TGRM is to draft a document on “Responsible Mining”, on values and concepts to be considered and their importance for future generations in the perspective of a sustainable development of our societies.
This document will give essential elements of reference to frame this important topic in an ethical perspective, in order to push different stakeholders to take into consideration (and possibly formally adopt) an orienting document which recalls them to the efficient and prudent exploitation and use of geo-resources, the respect of natural environment by minimizing the impacts of mining activities, the strong awareness of local populations and cultures, the adoption and application of high standards of quality and upgraded health and safety conditions in the working environment, the development of new innovative technologies and processes, and the implementation of eco-friendly and socio-friendly best practices.

The Task Group on Responsible Mining is composed of:


Jan Boon (Canada)
He has a Ph.D. in geochemistry. He is member of the Environment and Social Responsibility Society of the Canadian Institute of Mining and of the Instituto de Ingenieros de Minas del PerĂº.

Pekka Nurmi (Finland)
He has a long career at the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK), and is currently the Director of Science and Innovations, and the vice of the Director General.

Nikolaos Arvanitidis (Sweden)
He is an Economic Geologist. Presently he is Head of Economic Geology Division at the Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU).

Giuseppe Di Capua (Italy)
He is a research geologist at the Italian Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV). He is founder member and treasurer of the IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics.

More information about the Task Group are available at: 
http://www.geoethics.org/tgrm


Picture credit: https://twitter.com/aua_crm


IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics: 
http://www.geoethics.org

Wednesday, June 7, 2017



11th Asian Regional Conference of IAEG [ARC-11]

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS 

November 28-30, 2017
Kathmandu (Nepal)


Theme 12: Geoethics in Engineering Geology and georisk reduction 
(organized by IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics)

IAEG defines "Engineering Geology" as "the science devoted to the investigation, study and solution of the engineering and environmental problems which may arise as the result of the interaction between geology and the works and activities of man as well as to the prediction and of the development of measures for prevention or remediation of geological hazards". This definition implies evident ethical and social implications in geo-engineering research and practice. 
In fact, the interaction man-Earth system produces surely modifications in natural dynamics and equilibria, so managing the natural environment requires great responsibilities by scientists, practitioners and industry in order to minimize the impact on ecosystems, to use geo-resources prudently, to protect the geoheritage and geodiversity, to respect local populations and their cultures.
In addition, engineering geology is a fundamental discipline to help society to face natural hazards, to reduce geo-risks and to improve the societal resilience, through accurate scientific studies and effective geoengineering design.
Finally geo-education campaigns and communication to population should be considered as fundamental collateral activities and a real social duty of every scientific activity.
This theme will collect abstracts discussing ethical and social aspects in engineering geology, from theoretical to practical issues, including case-studies, with a special focus on ethical and social issues related to geo-risks reduction.
The theme 12 is organized by IAPG – International Association for Promoting Geoethics (http://www.geoethics.org).

Prepare abstract of your presentation and submit registration form online: 
http://iaegarc11ngs.com/uploads/template.dotx

Information about the abstract submission: 
http://iaegarc11ngs.com/content/11


IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics: 

http://www.geoethics.org