Geophysics for Civil Protection
& Sustaining Humanitarian Aid Operations
Today, we find ourselves in a situation of a growing threat to peace, with countries in which armed conflicts affect civilians by tearing apart communities, civilian infrastructure, and livelihoods and with many countries in which the educational process in geosciences did not incorporate or promote the role for civilian protection and humanitarian aid operations.
SUMMARY
RO-GEO4HUMANITY is a project conceived to create awareness of the power of education in earth sciences to build disaster resilience and achieve sustainable development goals (SDG-UN)
RO-GEO4HUMANITY is an accelerated educational program designed to provide necessary know-how for a target group of young who want to embrace a career in earth sciences and guide them to achieve technical competencies for career perspectives in ensuring security and peace around the globe.
The focus is to enhance their knowledge and practical skills in specific subjects related to hazard signal detection and hazardous source location choosing to fill a gap in the traditional curricula of earth sciences and train them to provide critical services such as:
- Identifying the signals of illicit usage or tests of weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear bombs and locating the source
- detection of buried unexploded ammunition and mines by combining cutting-edge technology of airborne (UVAs) and ground detection methodologies
At the same time, the project will focus on:
- Creating awareness about the risk posed by contaminated lands following war actions
- Understanding the necessity of highly skilled human resources to provide support for humanitarian action in areas threatened by the buried unexploded ordinances (UXO)
- Education in emergencies and conflict areas
Geophysics is at the core of peacekeeping efforts. Analysis of a seismogram and acoustic registration can reduce the likelihood of misunderstandings or escalations driven by suspicions of Illicit Nuclear Activities (INA). Landmines (LM) and Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) are long-term threats to safety, long after conflicts have ended. Depicting the geophysical signature of an LM & ERW target can reduce the risk of an explosion and associated risks to human life, cultural assets, and the environment. Detecting an abandoned munition deposit can help in cleaning contaminated land and restoring it to fulfil its functions. These are just a glimpse of the great things that geophysics is capable of if certain challenges in capturing and analyzing the geophysical signals can be exceeded.
Specialists in geophysics can be important human resources in humanitarian aid operations and in certain applications related to FORENSIC EXPLOSIVE AND EXPLOSION INVESTIGATION, such LM & ERW detection and Illicit Nuclear Activities monitoring. However, so far, training offered for this possible path of a geophysicist career has been not considered in most of the students’ geophysics curricula.
The RO-GEO4HUMANITY is an SEG-FIELD CAMP 2024 project designed to be an Accelerated Education (AE) program for students on a theme that will complement the current curricula and will help to provide for the current generation of students enrolled at the Faculty of Geology and Geophysics -UB and external participants an educational program designed to gain new practical competences by working with new types of geophysical equipment and UVAs, while addressing topics related to geophysics for civil protection and for sustaining humanitarian aid operations. In addition to the objectives of enhancing the knowledge in the sciences of geophysics and allied sciences, the project is designed to help students develop their perspective on the importance of geophysics to societal, economic, and environmental challenges.
Upcoming events open for the public:
1. Workshop on the Role of Geophysics in Nuclear-Test-Ban and Geoscience for Security (click here for details)
• Date: May 16, 2024
• Location: Bucharest (Hybrid)
2. Workshop: Hands-on infrasound data analysis (click here for details)
• Date: June 6, 2024
• Location: Bucharest (Onsite)
• Note: Limited places available
3. Workshop: Building up experience on the nuclear tests verification regime. Hands-on seismic data analysis (click here for details).
• When: July 4, 2024
• Where: Bucharest (Onsite)
• Note: Limited places available. Requires registration.
4. Workshop: Building up experience in recognizing and detecting explosive remnants of war using UAVs and airborne geophysics
• When: September 16, 2024
• Where: Bucharest (Onsite only)
• Note: Limited places available. Requires registration
5. Field Campaign –UAVs and geophysical technology for UXO detection
• When: 17-20/21 September 2024
• Where: Câmpulung, Romania (Onsite only)
• Note: Limited places available / requires enrollment in Earth Sciences field of study
6. Closing Workshop (results presentation & panel discussion)
• When: 14 November 2024 (Hybrid)
• Where: Bucharest, Romania
• Note: Limited places available. Requires registration.
Registration is now open!
RO-GEO4HUMANITY is a project that can develop beyond the initial plan if great people like you decide to get involved. Any support is valuable in achieving the proposed objectives on all axes of the project and any new ideas are welcomed.
Join the project or be part of the project:
-if you are a specialist in geophysics, UXO detection, humanitarian demining or UAVs services for geophysics send your contact details to contact@geosymposium.org and we will explore together opportunities for collaboration
-if you represent a company and would like to become a sponsor of this project, please fill in this form.
-if you are a student interested in joining the educational program fill in this form. The Bucharest Student Chapter of SEG will assist you along the process. Secure your place for the project activities by completing the registration form available here: https://lnkd.in/dyg-rCz5 Registration deadline for joining the group of participants for the measuring campaign (September): May 28, 2024, 11:59 PM EEST
Limited places available. We welcome both Romanian and international students. International applicants are advised to verify current entry requirements to Romania. To apply please send us the narative CV (max. 500 words, in English) and include in the submission form information on Academic specialization and year of study.
Project implementation & partners
„Geophysics for Civil Protection & Sustaining Humanitarian Aid Operations” (RO-GEO4HUMANITY) is a project awarded by the prestigious Society of Exploration Geophysicists, Tulsa, OK, USA
The project is coordinated by the consortium of the Romanian Society of Applied Geophysics and the Faculty of Geology and Geophysics of the University of Bucharest
Project Partners through whose support the technology and technical know-how will be ensured are: GeoEcoMar, National Institute of Earth Physics, Institute of Geodynamics of the Romanian Academy, Aerial Force Academy of Brasov, GeoSphere-Austria, GeoKit Green Solutions
Project trainers are from Romania, Serbia, Greece, Germany and Austria
We look forward to welcoming you to an enriching experience!