Cairo University, 21st - 25th January 2001
in co-operation with the University of Exeter
Sponsored by UNESCO
A roving training course for Africa on 'Geological Parameters for Environmental Protection', sponsored and organised by UNESCO, was presented at Cairo University, Egypt, on 21st - 25th January 2001. This course, previously presented in Windhoek (Namibia) in January 1999 and Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) in January 2000, has been developed for engineers, scientists, managers and technical staff working in mining, water supply and natural resource development and environmental protection in anglophone countries of Africa.
Environmental management is one of the key requirements of sustainable development, but the pressing need for exploitation of indigenous natural resources places great pressure on the environment in many developing countries. This course aims to provide an understanding of the geological, hydrogeological and geochemical bases for successful environmental management, with particular reference to water resources, mining, oil and gas development, waste disposal and the management of contaminated land.
Each element of the course is planned to provide sufficient depth of knowledge to leave participants with an appreciation of the subject in a way that will continue to serve them throughout their professional lives.
The course was hosted by the Centre for Environmental Hazard Mitigation, Cairo University, through the kind co-operation of Prof. Dr. Yehia E. Abdelhady, Director, and Dr. Said Dahroug, and was presented by Drs. Mike Heath and John Merefield of the University of Exeter (UK). Approximately 40 participants from Egypt, Sudan and Jordan took part, with guest presentations from Dr. Michel Aloy from France and Dr. S. Rajamani from India, both representing co-sponsors UNIDO.
The presentation of the course took the form of a series of lectures and workshops over a one week period and included field visits to the tannery district of Old Cairo and a landfill site east of the city.
The course was supported by UNESCO's Division of Earth Sciences under
the supervision of Fernando L. Repetto in Paris and with local co-ordination
by Dr. Jacqueline Schmid of the UNESCO Cairo office .
Geological Parameters for Environmental Protection - Course Content
(1) Environmental Geology
(8) Geological framework for environmental management systems