The role of engineering geology in delivering the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

Engineering geology has an important role to play in sustainable development. This is due to the unique perspective that engineering geologists have of the interfaces between: science and engineering; the natural and built environments; the past, present and future. This paper examines the role of engineering geology in delivering the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and demonstrates that there is a strong link between the knowledge, skills and activities of engineering geologists and the delivery of all 17 goals. The study includes a detailed evaluation of all 169 SDG targets and highlights the key impact areas where engineering geologists already contribute to sustainable development, as well as identifying opportunities for contributions to be strengthened. It is hoped that this paper will empower engineering geologists to confidently communicate the value of their role, act responsibly and exert their influence to drive positive outcomes in terms of sustainable development in everything that they do. Supplementary material : Mapping exercise of typical engineering geology knowledge, skills and activities against all 169 SDG targets and related indicators is available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5778817 Thematic collection: This article is part of the Sustainability in Engineering Geology & Hydrogeology collection available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/sustainability-in-engineering-geology-and-hydrogeology