Mining, water and trust: how Namibia’s geoscientists see their role with communities
Originally published by The Conversation – Articles (AFRICA) — Read the original article →
Namibia is one of the world’s leading uranium producers. It also has significant deposits of diamonds, gold, zinc, copper and rare earth elements. As these sectors evolve, there’s a need for geoscientists to communicate with the public as well as communities. Geoscientists study the Earth: its rocks, water, minerals and hazards. They include geologists, hydrogeologists, geochemists, petroleum geologists and palaeontologists, among others. In Namibia, they work in government bodies, mining and petroleum companies, and at universities, guiding everything from mineral exploration to groundwater management and land-use planning. Marina Joubert, a science communication specialist, and Josephine Uushona, a geoscientist, set out their findings based on research with geoscientists on how they engaged with the public, what they understood engagement to mean and what motivated or discouraged them from taking part.
Namibia is a vast, dry and sparsely populated country of about 3 million people.
In recent years the resources sector has grown substantially. In 2022, Shell and TotalEnergies discovered sizeable offshore oil reserves. The same year also saw the country’s largest-ever find of rare earth elements.
