Geoscience has an important role to play in the fight against global poverty and sustainable international development. For example, understanding groundwater can enable us to bring clean water to communities who previously had to walk many kilometres to collect it. An in-depth knowledge of hazards (such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and landslides) can inform and improve disaster risk reduction. The use of local minerals and rock materials can improve soil fertility and reduce erosion. Engineering geology, natural resources, medical and contaminant geology and climate change research all have the potential to support the fight against global poverty and international development.
 
Good geological knowledge, however, is  not sufficient to guarantee the success of international development projects. The effective application of geological skills will necessitate a number of other skills and knowledge sets, such as (i) a thorough understanding of local cultures and customs, (ii) an ability to work in multi-disciplinary teams, (iii) approaches to facilitate communication to multiple stakeholders, and (iv) an understanding of community vulnerability, culture and behavioural traditions.
 
This session will explore the integration of these factors in order to improve project safety, sustainability and success. We welcome contributions ranging from across the geosciences with a focus on case studies and lessons learnt from undertaking research particularly in (but not limited to) the global south. Possible topics of interest include (i) methods to improve local community participation in research, (ii) effective geoscience communication across cultural boundaries, (iii) successful integration of geoscience into multidisciplinary development work, and (iv) the incorporation of indigenous knowledge.