May 29, 2007
Bowling
Green, Ky. -Officials of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have given a review panel’s highest rating to the 2006 efforts of “Global Study of Karst Aquifers and Water Resources,” a project led by Western Kentucky University, the organization announced this week from its headquarters in Paris, France.
The major focus of the U.N. funding is to support communication between scientists from countries around the world working on various earth science and environmental issues -- in this case water resources from limestone karst aquifers, which have been estimated to supply drinking water to 25 percent of the world’s population.
Dr. Chris Groves, director of WKU’s Hoffman Environmental Research Institute within the University’s Applied Research and Technology Program (ARTP), serves as the program’s project leader within UNESCO’s International Geoscience Program. The project’s three co-leaders are Yuan Daoxian of China’s Institute of Karst Geology in Guilin, Bartolome Andreo-Novarro of Malaga University in Spain and Heather Viles of England’s Oxford University.
The UNESCO review panel’s cited the project’s progress in the development of an extensive communication infrastructure, support of education and extensive participation of project members in relevant international conferences in its comments.
“A key benefit for WKU is that the project provides outstanding opportunities for geoscience students to participate in research projects and to interact with scientists from around the globe,” Groves said.
Over the past seven years, for example, Hoffman Institute graduate students have made 16 trips to China to work on affiliated projects there. Numerous geoscience students have also participated in and given presentations at U.N.-sponsored conferences, including recent ones in Greece, Spain and Switzerland.
In August, WKU will host an international conference of the group. In 2008, a WKU contingent will attend the International Geological Congress in Oslo, Norway, where Groves has organized a theme session “International Perspectives on Karst Aquifers and Water Resources.”
“The UNESCO karst water project,” said Dr. David Keeling, head of WKU’s Department of Geography and Geology, “demonstrates the global reach of the department, college and university and provides an excellent example of student engagement on issues that can affect significant numbers of the world’s population.”
More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.
For information, contact Chris Groves at (270) 745-5974.
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