Last updated 14 April 1997

Geology for Environmental and Urban Planning

In its Geology for Planning programme, the Mineral Resources Section is working towards inducing decision makers to take geological factors into account, to improve the quality of land-use planning and reduce the effects of natural hazards posed by earthquakes, volcanism, ground subsidence and flooding. This is particularly urgent for the coastal lowlands of the region, habitat to an estimated 1.7 billion people, and even more so for the urban centres, most of which are located in the coastal zone. The programme strives to convince geologists to present their data in a user-friendly manner, readily understandable to the non-initiated. The resulting thematic maps may, e.g., show zones of different seismic risk levels, areas of adequate groundwater supply, safe sites for waste disposal, locations of natural constructon materials, even zones with calculated costs of construction per unit area, etc.

Based on our present inventory of the disastrous effects of ignoring geology, amply publicized in the on-going ESCAP series on geology for land-use/urban planning, the programme now aims to demonstrate that geological input, albeit at a slow pace, is actually being built into the planning process from the very start. Several member countries have initiated a regular data interchange between authorities and geologists - each is invited to benefit from this opportunity.

The Atlas of Urban Geology series contains the rationale as well as some case histories from Asia and the Pacific region. the latest volumes being

• Geological Aspects of Land-use Planning (volume 8) and
• Manual on Environmental and Urban Geology of Fast-growing Cities (volume 9),

which is to be updated periodically, with the help of readers and prospective users. Those interested please contact MRS at wees.unescap@un.org, aslo with regard to meetings, training courses etc.