Meteorological or anthropogenic drought? A recent study illustrates the environmental, social and economic risks

by Silvia Peppoloni*

This article was published in ReWriters Magazine, in Italian and English:

https://rewriters.it/siccita-meteorologica-o-antropogenica-un-recente-studio-ce-ne-illustra-i-rischi-ambientali-sociali-ed-economici/

* Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Rome (Italy); Secretary General of the IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics; Councillor of the IUGS - International Union of Geological Sciences; Member of the Ethical Board of ICOS - Intergrated Carbon Observation System; Coordinator of IAPG-Italy; Member of the Board of Directors of the Italian Geological Society. Email: silvia.peppoloni@ingv.it

Silvia Peppoloni

Included among the meteorological phenomena, drought is defined as the lack or scarcity of rain that lasts for an exceptionally long period of time (months to years), during which rainfall is scarce or insufficient to guarantee the balance between the natural availability of water and its consumption by the human being.

In many regions of the Earth, drought is a recurring phenomenon, even with a certain periodicity, and in this sense it can be faced with appropriate strategies and actions. These include marine desalination works, the collection and storage of rainwater, the planting of crops that need low quantities of water, or recycling with purification of water already used.

Drought can cause a serious risk for the territory and the people who live there, as it involves severe environmental (fires, desertification), economic (reduction of cultivated areas, losses in industrial, agricultural and livestock activities) and social (famine, migration) mass, social tensions, wars) consequences. For this reason it should not be considered only an effect of the water deficit, but it should be studied, modeled and parameterized including also the anthropic interactions with nature. It is on this point that the authors of a recent article published in the scientific journal Reviews of Geophysics insist: there is also the “anthropogenic drought”, where it is human activities rather than natural factors that cause or intensify drought and its impact.

But how is it possible to incorporate anthropogenic drought into forecasting models, so that its effects can be planned and mitigated for the future?

Drought: a multidimensional phenomenon

The intensity of the drought is expressed through indices: the most used internationally is the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), whose value quantifies the surplus or deficit of rainfall compared to the average values. However, this indicator explains the availability of water from a meteorological point of view, but does not consider the bidirectional interactions between human action and the environment, especially it does not take into account the way in which human activities can change rainfall, increase the risk of water stress or altering the microclimatic conditions. It also does not consider the impact of local water demand or land management practices. For this reason the authors believe it is more effective to define and treat drought as a multidimensional and multiscale phenomenon.

The evidence of this methodological perspective is immediate, if we consider the combined effects of climate change and human activities. Multivariate climatic conditions could make the negative impacts of drought events more devastating, as the planet’s temperatures will continue to rise in the coming years, with unpredictable repercussions on water demand and water use, particularly with increases in demand by the agricultural sector. Furthermore, the frequency and distribution of droughts can affect renewable energy production and current and future economic balances which, in turn, can increase the anthropogenic CO2 footprint and subsequently affect rainfall conditions and the severity of the anthropogenic drought, in a negative feedback mechanism. In addition, drought can change the length of the plant growing season, local hydrology and the carbon uptake period.

Making forecasts on drought is in general very difficult, but predicting and planning interventions by introducing anthropogenic drought into the analysis models can be a real challenge for science, due to the different rates of development and the different demand for water that characterizes various countries and regions of the world.

However, despite the gloomy picture, we can be cautiously optimistic: the progress in the development of dynamics models of the water / human interaction system and the Integrated Assessment Models (IAM), that are able to dynamically represent the interactions between natural and anthropogenic components at different scales, for example by inserting climatic data in the analyzes to elaborate future scenarios, are proving effective. In fact, through the use of these models it seems possible to identify scenarios in line with future climate projections, which are very useful for making technical choices and political actions, and for evaluating their possible results in advance.

There are, however, some limitations: the models developed so far are more suitable for investigating large-scale events, which occur over a long period of time, but instead present greater uncertainty in predicting short-term and regional-scale effects (such as local droughts).

The real possibility remains that this new way of studying drought, by introducing the anthropogenic factors that influence it, can come to provide increasingly accurate predictive scenarios, able to guide the environmental and development policies of human communities.

Improving the response to future droughts through increasingly effective strategies for managing the demand and water supply of the future, when the climate will be warmer and characterized by numerous extreme climatic events, is not just an issue of economic sustainability. It is also and above all a great safety issue, which affects everyone, since the drought may be accompanied by growing social and geopolitical tensions. Only responsible and farsighted ruling classes and ever more accurate science and technology will be able to try to defuse the effects of the massive anthropogenic global changes taking place.

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Other articles published in the IAPG Blog:

http://www.geoethics.org/articles-from-iapg-blog

IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics

http://www.geoethics.org

The IAPG section of Bolivia

Welcome to the IAPG section of Bolivia! 

The section is officially established on 5 July 2021 and will work under the responsibility of Wilfredo Ramos Collorana (Universidad Mayor San Andrés - UMSA, La Paz; President of "Colegio de Geólogos de Bolivia"). IAPG-Bolivia is the 33th national section of our Association.

Wilfredo Ramos Collorana

Wilfredo is Professor at the Geological Engineering Department of the "Universidad Mayor San Andrés" (UMSA), La Paz and current President of "Colegio de Geólogos de Bolivia". He is also the Bolivian representative of LAIGEO and IGEO.

He got his PhD at the "Universidad Nacional de La Plata", Argentina. He was Specialist on Environmental Engineering at the "Universidad Tecnológica Nacional, Facultad Regional de La Plata", Argentina. He worked on mining exploration and prospecting in Bolivia, also as researcher, and on mining geology in Argentina and Chile (1998-2015). He was Director of Prospecting and Exploration at the "Servicio Geológico Minero" (SERGEOMIN) from 2014 to 2015. He worked on geology at the "Servicio Geológico de Bolivia" from 1993 to 1997.

Other IAPG national sections: 

https://www.geoethics.org/sections.html

IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics:

https://www.geoethics.org

Sustainable Mining – what exactly does it mean?

by David Ovadia*

* David Ovadia is an IAPG member, former coordinator of IAPG-UK.

David Ovadia

These days, almost every mining project is described as ‘sustainable’ – an adjective that is being liberally applied to many things including the UN’s sustainable development goals all 17 of which are worthy and important. But is mining something that can be described as being sustainable?  When the commodity is depleted, it does not grow back. The metal, or aggregate, or oil has gone and the extractive activity ceases. Is ‘sustainable’ really the correct term to use?

Many people think it is. Anglo American has published its Sustainable Mining Plan which, quite rightly, refers to the sustainable benefits that come with, and from, mining activities. We should all be in favour of mining that minimises damage to societies and the environment; that leaves behind restored landscapes, agricultural land or forests; that builds and maintains infrastructure and skills that will exist well after the mine closes, and other such noble aims. These describe good mining, but I am not sure that sustainable is really the correct term to use.

Near to my home is to be found the Attenborough Nature Reserve which is a splendid facility for wildlife, walking, leisure, vegetation and water sports created from disused gravel pits on the banks of the River Trent. The gravel has long gone, but the benefits survive and prosper. Would it have been right to call those old gravel pits, when they were being dug out, sustainable mining? Probably not.

Whilst we all understand what is meant by the term ‘sustainable mining’, is there a better term to use? What about ‘responsible mining’?

It has the advantage of suggesting that the mining is not a dig-and-abandon activity. However, it does not strictly imply a positive, beneficial result. I know that I am being pedantic, but an open pit mine that is later filled with toxic waste is the responsibility of someone through mismanagement, corruption or weak legislation. We might want to use the term in a good way, but being responsible for something does not guarantee a positive outcome.

So what else can we use as an adjective that means what we want it to mean? How about ‘ethical mining’? This seems to embrace most of the positives without giving the false impression of renewability or permanence. Good ethics might be linguistic tautology, but the generally accepted meaning of the term includes the technical aspects of the mining itself – much of which is covered by the definition of Geoethics – with the broader social, legal, economic and environmental requirements to behave professionally, properly and sensibly.

We are left with three adjectives to describe mining, none of which perfectly state the things we wish to read into them. Does it really matter which term is used?  Of course not. English is a flexible language; there is no equivalent of the Académie française or the Accademia della Crusca to define the meanings of words. Whichever of these terms is used, and there are probably others that could be selected, what matters is that mining projects are designed, funded and controlled to do as little or no long term damage to the environment or the people they touch. We can all agree on that. 

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Other articles published in the IAPG Blog:

http://www.geoethics.org/articles-from-iapg-blog

IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics

http://www.geoethics.org

New IAPG Task Group on Responsible Speleology

This new IAPG Task Group is active from 21 June 2021 and is formed by Mike Buchanan (United Kingdom) and Aleksandar Antić (Serbia).

Introduction

There are few aspects of the human experience that are such worldwide phenomena as the use of caves and few natural features in the landscape that have so excited the imagination … Cave use is an activity that spans the full temporal range of Homo sapiens, extending over half a million years from the present. (Tolan-Smith, 2004, p. 426).

​Through time, humans have used caves for habitation or shelter, storage, various economic activities, as sites for art, inspiration, recreation, entertainment, and religious rites, or burial. In particular, caves have attracted explorers, without whom much of our current understanding of caves would not be possible.

The use of caves for scientific research is a relatively recent phenomenon. Although many cultures have recognized caves as being special features within the landscape, speleology (the study of cave science) has highlighted not only the incredible potential for scientific research associated with caves, but also the exceptional sensitivity and vulnerability of many caves and their associated ecosystems, values and resources to human-caused disturbances – including disturbances caused by cave research. We are only now becoming more fully aware of some of the unintended consequences our use of caves can have.

Human activities have damaged or degraded caves, often unintentionally. Explorers and recreational caving organizations were among the first to respond to this problem by developing “caving codes of ethics” aimed at minimizing or mitigating damage or degradation to caves. More recently, tourist cave managers and various other organizations have also worked to develop “best practice” strategies for a similar purpose. 

More often than not, a key underlying premise of many best practice guidelines is that that caves will be entered and explored. Whereas such guidance provides strategies for minimizing impacts to caves while engaging in certain activities, it often does not consider whether or not those activities should be occurring. In other words, the guidance tells us how to conduct such activities in caves but is silent on whether or not we should conduct them. 

The purpose of speleoethics is to consider this question. A key premise of speleoethics is that as our knowledge of the sensitivity of caves increases, so does our responsibility to preserve these special places. Given that almost every visit to caves results in impacts and in some cases, incremental, unintended, irreparable or long-lasting damage, the purpose of this IAPG Task Group is to consider whether a) there can be such a thing as “ethical speleology” and b) if so, what it might look like. We seek to develop guidance on whether a particular cave should be entered; under what circumstances, and for what purpose.

These questions are especially timely now that technology allows humans to expand their activities beyond Earth. Rather than rushing to explore pristine caves or cave-like environments, whether on other worlds or our own planet, we have a responsibility to carefully weigh the pros, cons and potential unintended consequences of doing so. Speleoethics can provide a useful framework for this.

The IAPG Task Group has formed to present a defined way forward, by the drafting of an essential White Paper that will provide guidance to the global speleological community. Including those who conduct research within caves and on host karst systems.

Works cited:

Tolan-Smith, 2004. Human occupation of caves. In: J. Gunn, ed. 2004. Encyclopedia of Caves and Karst Science. New York: Fitzroy Dearborn, pp. 426-428

Members of the IAPG Task Group on Responsible Speleology

Mike Buchanan (United Kingdom)

He has thirty years' experience as speleologist, karstologist. He has focused his interest on the management and conservation of karst groundwater systems and their subterranean component. He has professional experience in the exploration of caves and confined spaces; groundwater tracing and vulnerability mapping of karst freshwater aquifers, in relation to catchments; pollution point source identification by chemical analysis. He was co-author of The Management of Karst Landscapes and Caves for UNESCO Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site 2002. He is member of the IAPG Board of Expert for Geoethics in Speleology.

Aleksandar Antić (Serbia)

He is born in Požarevac, Serbia in 1994. He is currently a PhD student and researcher at the University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Geography Tourism and Hotel Management. Moreover, he is working as Assistant Editor for the MDPI publisher. His research includes the management of geoheritage, geoconservation and sustainable geotourism destination development, with a special focus on cave management and show cave tourism and speleology. He has published over 10 papers in international scientific journals and has attended numerous international conferences. He is a member of European Geosciences Union and Serbian Geographical Society. 

Picture credits:

- Cerjanska Cave, Southern Serbia (Photo by Aleksandar Antić)

- GB Cave, The Mendips, United Kingdom (Photo by Mike Buchanan)

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Other IAPG Task Groups:

https://www.geoethics.org/tgs

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

New book on geoethics just printed!

We are proud to inform that a new great book on geoethics (20 chapters, 34 authors) has been just printed:

Di Capua G., Bobrowsky P.T., Kieffer S.W. and Palinkas C. (2021). Geoethics: Status and Future Perspectives. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 508, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP508.

This is the second volume focused on geoethics published by the Geological Society of London. This is a significant step forward in which authors address the maturation of geoethics. The field of geoethics is now ready to be introduced outside the geoscience community as a logical platform for global ethics that addresses anthropogenic changes. Geoethics has a distinction in the geoscientific community for discussing ethical, social and cultural implications of geoscience knowledge, research, practice, education and communication. This provides a common ground for confronting ideas, experiences and proposals on how geosciences can supply additional service to society in order to improve the way humans interact responsibly with the Earth system. This book provides new messages to geoscientists, social scientists, intellectuals, law- and decision-makers, and laypeople. Motivations and actions for facing global anthropogenic changes and their intense impacts on the planet need to be governed by an ethical framework capable of merging a solid conceptual structure with pragmatic approaches based on geoscientific knowledge. This philosophy defines geoethics.

This book is dedicated to Jan Boon.

Chapters:

DI CAPUA G., BOBROWSKY P.T., KIEFFER S.W. AND PALINKAS C.

Introduction: geoethics goes beyond the geoscience profession

(open access)

PEPPOLONI, S. AND DI CAPUA, G.

Geoethics as global ethics to face grand challenges for humanity

BOHLE, M. 

Geo-societal sense-making

KEANE, C.M. AND ASHER, P.

Addressing the geoethics skills gap through co-curricular approaches

CRONIN, V.S.

Geoethics as a common thread that can bind a geoscience department together

MOGK, D.W. 

The intersection of geoethics and diversity in the geosciences

BONHAM, O. AND WALDIE, A. 

Geoscience, ethics and enforcement

DAWSON, L.A., DI MAGGIO, R.M., MCKINLEY, J., DI CAPUA, G., PEPPOLONI, S. AND PRINGLE, J. 

A proposal for a white paper on geoethics in forensic geology

FERNÁNDEZ-FUENTES, I., CORREIA, V. AND NEUMANN, M. 

The importance of professional regulation of geoscientists and their role in a fast-changing world

OVADIA, D.C. AND O’CONNOR, E.A. 

International geoscience cooperation – fair and equitable?

BOON, J. 

Sociology for mineral exploration

BILHAM, N. 

Responsible mining and responsible sourcing of minerals: opportunities and challenges for cooperation across value chains

MUDD, G.M. 

Sustainable/responsible mining and ethical issues related to the sustainable development goals

GROENFELDT, D. 

Ethical considerations in managing the hydrosphere: an overview of water ethics

BELLAUBI, F. AND ARASA, A. 

Geoethics in groundwater management: the geoethical dilemma in la galera aquifer

OBONI, F. AND OBONI, C.H. 

Holistic geoethical slopes’ portfolio risk assessment

CERASE, A. 

From ‘good’ intuitions to principled practices and beyond: ethical issues in risk communication

STEWART, I.S. AND HURTH, V. 

Selling Planet Earth: re-purposing geoscience communications

WUEBBLES, D.J. 

Ethics in Climate Change: A Climate Scientist’s Perspective

MCLEAN, M.R. 

Reaching out from Earth to the stars

A great thank to all the reviewers of the book chapters:

Ruth Allington, Beth Bartel, Martin Bohle, Jan Boon, Edoardo Borgomeo, Daniela Di Bucci, Vincent S. Cronin, Erle Ellis, Robert Frodeman, Armin Grunwald, Linda Gundersen, Fausto Guzzetti, Jill L. Karsten, Christopher Keane, Helio A. Lazarim, Eduardo Marone, Ellen Pletcher Metzger, David W. Mogk, David Craig Ovadia, Roberto Lencina, Silvia Peppoloni, Rika Preiser, Ortwin Renn and Mike Stephenson.

This book on the GSL (Lyell Collection) website:

https://sp.lyellcollection.org/content/508/1 

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Other books on geoethics in the IAPG website:

https://www.geoethics.org/books-on-geoethics

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

New article published in the special issue on geoethics with the journal Sustainability

We are glad to inform that the a new paper has been published in the special issue "New Advances on Geoethics and Sustainable Development" of the journal Sustainability. The guest editors of this special issue are Silvia Peppoloni and Giuseppe Di Capua.

The paper published is entitled "The Need for Geoethical Awareness: The Importance of Geoenvironmental Education in Geoheritage Understanding in the Case of Meteora Geomorphes, Greece" and authored by Efthymios Georgousis, Socrates Savelides, Spyros Mosios, Maximos-Vasileios Holokolos, and Hara Drinia.

The article can be downloaded here:

https://f420cbad-ec08-4c39-902f-b0e5afecb44a.filesusr.com/ugd/5195a5_fa72234c07bd41ad80f6cb4fc390c91a.pdf?index=true

Abstract:

"The purpose of this article is to explore the young generation’s geocultural consciousness. The research uses the case of Meteora Geomorphes, which have been proposed as a geological heritage site and are known to students for aesthetic, cultural and religious reasons. The sample of the research consisted of third grade Junior High school (Gymnasium) pupils, who have been taught Geography–Geology courses in previous classes, and students from departments of the University of Thessaly, Central Greece, wherein their subjects are taught cultural heritage courses. The data collection was conducted through a structured questionnaire that examines their knowledge, values, geoethical attitudes, behaviors and beliefs about geocultural heritage understanding. The result of the research shows the lack of understanding of the geological heritage in relation to cultural heritage and of the sense of responsibility for the environment and a code of ethics for protection and conservation. The need for strategic educational planning of geoeducation in school practice with the integration of geoheritage in the theme of environmental education (geoenvironmental education) is obvious."

The paper can be cited as follows:

Georgousis E., Savelides S., Mosios S., Holokolos M.-V., and Drinia H. (2021). The Need for Geoethical Awareness: The Importance of Geoenvironmental Education in Geoheritage Understanding in the Case of Meteora Geomorphes, Greece. Sustainability, 13(12), 6626, https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126626. 

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Other publications on geoethics in the IAPG website:

https://www.geoethics.org/publications

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

Geological Hazards and Geoethics in Argentina

Elizabeth Rovere and Roberto Violante (IAPGeoethics-Argentina coordinators) co-organize the Symposium S3 "Geological Hazards and Geoethics" (Peligros Geológicos y Geoética) at the XXI Argentinian Geological Congress (Congreso Geológico Argentino), that will be held in virtual format in March 2021. Initially the congress was to take place in Puerto Madryn, Chubut (Argentina).

Silvia Peppoloni (IAPG Secretary General) and Giuseppe Di Capua (IAPG Treasurer) will give invited talks on geoethics. 

This symposium is sponsored by IAPGeoethics-Argentina.

Download more information about the Symposium S3 (in Spanish):

https://f420cbad-ec08-4c39-902f-b0e5afecb44a.filesusr.com/ugd/5195a5_843db4468e8542d9bb3d601c5c201ac9.pdf?index=true

Congress website: 

http://www.congresogeologico.org.ar/

#geoethics #geoética #IAPG #Argentina

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

IAPG report in included in the 2020 Annual Report of the IUGS

Another great news!

We are proud to inform that the IAPG was invited to contribute to the 2020 Annual Report of the International Union of Geological Sciences - IUGS (https://www.iugs.org/). We wish to thank IUGS for this opportunity.

This is the result of the great efforts that IAPG community is doing to develop and promote geoethics worldwide.

The IAPG is an affiliated organization of the IUGS from 2013.

Download the 2020 Annual Report of the IUGS and read the IAPG report from page 73 to page76:

https://98ca4554-1361-4fb1-a4d8-a1bb16d032e6.filesusr.com/ugd/f1fc07_ca038c357c7a41e7914ab9ff35e90118.pdf?index=true

#geoethics #geoética #IAPG #IUGS

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

Geoethics included into a very important document on biodiversity and climate change

Great news!

Geoethics was included into the “Scientific Outcome of the IPBES-IPCC co-sponsored workshop on biodiversity and climate change” (IPBES: Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services; IPCC: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)

This document can be downloaded here:

https://www.ipbes.net/sites/default/files/2021-06/2021_IPCC-IPBES_scientific_outcome_20210612.pdf

In the Section 4.2 "Human and Social Dimensions" (page 49) you can read the following sentences, that include also the definition of geoethics by IAPG:

"Ethical behaviour with respect to nature (“geoethics”) is at the core of several discussions regarding adaptation. The values which underpin appropriate behaviours and practices wherever human activities interact with the Earth system play an important role in the awareness of society regarding problems with biodiversity and NCP. Ethical, social, and cultural implications of both scientific knowledge and humankind’s role as an active geological force on the planet and the ethical responsibility that this implies need to be addressed in every plan of action (Bobrowsky et al., 2017). This includes equity issues linked to biodiversity related interventions. These are often not distributionally neutral and have equity implications both within and between generations." 

The paper on geoethics cited in the document is:

Bobrowsky, P., Cronin, V. S., Di Capua, G., Kieffer, S. W., & Peppoloni, S. (2017). The emerging field of geoethics. Sci. Integr. Ethics Geosci, 73, 175.

This paper can be read here:

https://f420cbad-ec08-4c39-902f-b0e5afecb44a.filesusr.com/ugd/5195a5_2d21386d650f4f418cb05d0d7dad395c.pdf

A detailed definition of geoethics is provided in:

Di Capua G. and Peppoloni S. (2019). Defining geoethics. Website of the IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics, http://www.geoethics.org/definition.

#geoethics #geoética #biodiversity #climatechange #IAPG #IPBES #IPCC

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

IAPG-Peru has a new coordinator

IAPG-Peru logo

Pedro Isique (photo above) is the new coordinator of IAPG-Peru from 1 June 2021. "Have a good work!" Pedro.

Pedro is a geologist with experience in applied Geology, Environmental Geology, Environmental vulnerability of water sources, Quarry Research and sources of construction materials. He graduated as a geologist from the University of San Marcos-Lima. He got a Msc. Environmental Management at the Federico Villareal University, a Diploma in Geotechnics USAT-University of Valencia. He was Leadership Course at the UPC-Harvard University, Professor at the Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Professor at the Universidad San Martín de Porres, Geologist of the Geology Division of the Ministry of Transport – Peru. Finally, he is an International Consultant in applied geology and groundwater vulnerability.

He worked in all regions of Peru, as well as in Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Brazil and Angola (Africa).

He has also been an Advisor for the ministerial office of the Ministry of Transport, former President of the Peruvian Association of Geological Engineering, former Director of the Peruvian Consulting Association, former Director of the Geological Society of Peru. Currently, he is President of the XX Peruvian Congress of Geology (2021).

Pedro takes over from Carlos Toledo Gutierrez in chairing the IAPG-Peru section.

IAPG wishes to thank Carlos for the excellent job he has done in the last 2 years, strengthening the IAPG-Peru's position as the leading group actively promoting geoethics in South America.

IAPG has 32 national sections:
https://www.geoethics.org/sections

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

A planet of geodiversity

by Silvia Peppoloni*

This article was published in ReWriters Magazine, in Italian and English:

https://rewriters.it/sta-per-arrivare-la-giornata-internazionale-della-geodiversita/

* Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Rome (Italy); Secretary General of the IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics; Councillor of the IUGS - International Union of Geological Sciences; Member of the Ethical Board of ICOS - Intergrated Carbon Observation System; Coordinator of IAPG-Italy; Member of the Board of Directors of the Italian Geological Society. Email: silvia.peppoloni@ingv.it

Silvia Peppoloni

Great news for our planet! The goal of establishing the International Day of Geodiversity seems almost achieved.

On April 16, 2021, the proposal to dedicate an international day to the celebration of the importance of geodiversity passed what could be considered its most difficult test, as it was unanimously approved within one of the commissions of the Executive Committee of the UNESCO. More than 70 countries spread across all continents have co-sponsored this proposal, as well as numerous international geoscience and nature conservation organizations. In all likelihood, the first international day of geodiversity will take place on October 6, 2022.

Geodiversity is the foundation of biodiversity and of every socio-ecological system on the planet, but for most people, from the general public to the political decision-maker, its value and all its implications remain unknown. This is where the proponents of this international day started from: the urgency of increasing knowledge on geodiversity, promoting global education and awareness of its value, as well as the value of geosciences, disciplines that study the forms and processes of the Earth. But let’s see in detail what geodiversity is. Its official definition was formulated by ProGEO, the European Association for the Conservation of the Geological Heritage.

But what is geodiversity?

Geodiversity includes all non-living parts of nature: minerals, rocks, fossils, soils, sediments, soil forms, as well as the geological and morphogenetic processes that occur on Earth and the hydrological elements that characterize it, such as rivers and lakes.

Geodiversity has been a long neglected concept, while the role it plays in our lives, society and the environment as a whole is of the utmost importance. The elements that constitute it are an irreplaceable substratum of our societies, with undoubted advantages for many aspects of human life: from the land we cultivate, to the natural resources with which we build our settlements, to the aesthetic enjoyment of the landscapes in which we are immersed. The same landscapes, which inspire art, support tourism and strengthen our bond with the territory, are a product of geodiversity. The individual components of geodiversity tell us the history of the Earth, its evolution in deep time, its climatic changes and geological risks.

The diversity of geological resources plays an essential role in the economic and social development of humanity. When used with prudence and foresight, mineral resources create economic wealth and jobs. Rocks and geological processes have a fundamental role in regulating our environment, just think of the balancing function they exert on the water flow of watercourses, closely linked to the possibility that waters can infiltrate and be hosted by the rocks of the subsoil. Furthermore, rocks and sediments play a crucial role in filtering polluted surface waters before they reach an aquifer, as well as in the formation of soils for agricultural uses.

The geological characteristics of places have always influenced their evolution, also favouring or hindering the possibilities for development and progress of the human communities that live there. Since its appearance on Earth, the human being is so to speak "Homo geologicus": he/she lives in caves dug into the rock, works obsidian to obtain tools indispensable for his/her survival, uses the rocky walls as pictorial surfaces for first artistic manifestations. And again: he/she transports, raises and aligns huge stones, uses them to create alignments that are still indecipherable today, perhaps in response to his/her first spiritual calls; and finally he/she venerates as deities geological and morphological elements of the landscape such as volcanoes, rivers, springs. Even today the urban fabric of our villages, the development of productive activities, the habits of life and the very character of the populations often reflect the conditioning of the geological specificity of that territory, the conditioning of geodiversity.

It is no coincidence that some authors have demonstrated with scientific expertise and with captivating style how Rome has been able to develop and become the city caput mundi thanks to its truly unique territorial and natural features (Funiciello et al., The seven hills of Rome: a geological tour of the eternal city, 2006). The presence of volcanic soils from which to obtain excellent building materials, the abundance of groundwater and springs of excellent quality, the proximity to a navigable watercourse such as the Tiber river, the hilly morphology that offered relief sites to defend against enemies and to stay away from the unhealthy conditions of the most depressed areas, and many other geographical, geological and morphological aspects, determined its rise to the fore in history. And on closer inspection, Rome is not the only place where geodiversity and historical events are intimately connected. Everywhere the combination of the available geo-resources, of the geological processes and of the geo-risks present in a territory is intertwined with the development of local civilizations.

After all, geological diversity always sets the starting conditions for the evolution of a place. Geodiversity is in turn the product of a continuous evolution that took place in space and time, which involved and continues to influence not only physical but also anthropological aspects of the territory, often becoming an integral part of the identity of a place and its inhabitants. Thus for some human communities it becomes natural to identify with the colours of their own land. Ostuni, in southern Italy, is “the white city” for the extraordinary brightness of the white limestone on which it is built and its inhabitants perceive that glow as an integral part of their life. Petra, in Jordan, goes down in history as “the pink city of the Middle East” thanks to its paleozoic polychrome sandstones. Civita di Bagnoregio, in central Italy (in the picture), owes its sad name of “dying city” to the continuous demolition of its slopes by landslides.

Safeguarding the environment and respecting geodiversity, as well as biodiversity, are the basis of a modern ecological sensitivity, which can also be considered the result of a historical process of moral development. In 2021, albeit with a delay of a few decades, we are ready to recognize the full dignity of geodiversity. This is a way to grasp in the totality of human experiences and knowledge that value of diversity that characterizes a renewed awareness of the complexity of the world.

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