News

Geoscience KaR 2000 programme

The KaR Steering Committee met recently to I review proposals for the geoscience sector. A I panel of experts recommended projects grouped according to the following themes:

· Theme G1 - promote environmentally sensitive mineral resource development

· Theme G2 - (incorporating previous Theme G3) - improve geological, geochemical and geotechnical hazard avoidance strategies in development planning

· Theme G4 - improve understanding of the engineering properties of geological materials in developing countries and develop new engineering and environmental applications for their use

· Theme G5 - development strategies and systems for maintaining and improving national geoscience information services

Following the review the following projects have been provisionally accepted (subject to satisfactory agreement on detailed project design and on all contract arrangements) for start during 2000:

Theme G1

Effective development of river mining (I October 2000 to 30 September 2003)

Description: improved utilisation and reduced environmental degradation from river mining through effective resource management.

Contact: Mr David Harrison, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG

Tel: 0115 936 3213
Fax: 0115 936 3352
E-mail: d.harrison@bgs.ac.uk

Theme G2

Landslide risk assessment in the rural access sector, Nepal (1 April 2000 to 28 February 2003)

Description: to achieve measurable improvements in the translation of landslide hazard into landslide risk, vulnerability and management, in the rural access and rural development sectors in fragile mountains in developing countries.

Contact: Dr Gareth Hearn, Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick & Co Ltd, Scott House, Basing View, Basingstoke,

Hampshire RG21 4JG
Tel: 01256 461161
Fax: 01256 460582
E-mail: gareth.hearn@swkeurope.com

KaR website For more information on KaR geoscience projects visit www.bgs.ac.uk/dfid-kar-geoscience

Commonwealth Geological Surveys Forum

David Ovadia, British Geological Survey

The second meeting of the Commonwealth Geological Surveys Forum took place in I Pretoria, 20-23 February, 2000. The British Geological Survey and the Commonwealth Science Council organised the first meeting of the Heads of Commonwealth Geological Survey Organisations at Keyworth, Nottingham, in May 1998. The recent meeting in Pretoria was generously hosted by the Council for Geoscience, South Africa and delegates received financial support from the UK Department for International Development towards their travel and accommodation costs.

Nineteen Commonwealth countries were represented at the Forum, which included sessions dealing with recent developments in each survey, the economic value of geoscience information in developing countries and visits to a former gold mine and various departments within the Council for Geoscience.

Most of the geological survey organisations represented reported continuing high levels of activity in primary mapping and surveying. Those of the UK and New Zealand, in particular, are responding to the need to obtain funding from new sources, including industry and commerce. Most countries are involved in environmental geochemistry and climate change programmes, to some extent. There was a productive debate on how to increase political awareness of the benefits to the nation's economies and quality of life resulting from survey work.

The meeting was unanimous in its praise for Dr Nok Frick of the Council for Geoscience, South Africa, for hosting the meeting and took the opportunity to wish Dr Tony Reedman of the BGS every future happiness on the occasion of his retirement. The next meeting is planned provisionally to take place in Namibia in 2002.

Attendees at the 2nd meeting of the Commonwealth Geological Surveys Forum.

Photo: Council for Geoscience, Republic of South Africa

Geoscience meetings in Africa

John Bennett

The Geological Society of Africa is supporting I and assisting the organisation of the following I meetings during 2000-2001:

· GeoLuanda 2000. Colloquia on African micropalaeontology, South Atlantic Mesozoic stratigraphy and palaeogeography, and IGCP meeting on the Kibaran orogeny, 21-24 May 2000. For details see www.netangola.com/geoluanda2000 or contact the organisers on E-mail: geo.luanda2000@netangola.com or fax +244 2 333 290.

· 18th Colloquium of African Geology, Graz, Austria, 3-7 July 2000. For details see www.kfunigraz.ac.at/gepwww/cag/cag.htm or contact the organisers on E-mail: cag18@bimn22.kfunigraz.ac.at, or elisabeth.murtinger@kfunigraz.ac.at or fax +43 316 380 9870.

· Africa Minerals Forum Conakry 2000, Conakry, Guinea, 6-10 November 2000. Themes include mineral, hydrocarbon and water resources, environmental protection, artisanal mining, geoscience data management, etc. For details contact the organisers on E-mail pism@mirinet.net.gn or geoscafr@worldnet.fr or fax +244 45 50 26, or +33145809209.