WEGS—A working club of Western European geological surveys

Engineering Geology,29 (1990) 393-397

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Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam

WEGS A working club of Western European geological surveys Erik Stenestad

Geological Survey of Denmark, Thoravej 8, DK 2400 Copenhagen NV (Denmark) (Accepted for publication February 1, 1990)

ABSTRACT Stenestad, E., 1990. WEGS--A working club of Western European geological surveys. Eng. Geol., 29: 393-397. WEGS was established in 1971 as a working club of all the directors of the geological surveys in Western Europe. The purpose is to encourage the exchange of information between the 21 member-surveys representing all of the Western European countries. WEGS has annual plenary meetings convened by all member countries in turn. The general exchange of information includes the surveys' relationships to national and international organisations, institutions and large scale projects. Also on the agenda are reports from WEGS Working Groups on Environmental Geology, Geochemistry and Computers. At each meeting the opportunity is taken during field trips to examine the local geological conditions and problems related to geology. Current activities of WEGS include initiatives concerning standardisation and transfer of data between the member-surveys, a guideline book on environmental geology with case histories from all parts of Western Europe and possible joint activities within marine geology.

INTRODUCTION The national geological surveys have a fundamental role in the geoscientific world and in society, and they like to think that colleagues at the universities, at other institutions and at private companies, as well as administrative and political decision makers, recognise the importance to them and to the nation o f the d a t a b a n k s and the expertise maintained by the surveys. THE WEGS WORKING CLUB W E G S is not an official b o d y but an informal club o f directors o f the Western European geological surveys probably representing some 14,000 persons working with geology in 21 countries and states, now including Turkey as the last member to join. W E G S was established in 1971 with the purpose o f exchanging information, o f strengthening personal contacts at senior levels, and o f ensuring collaboration between m e m b e r Surveys. These are still considered to be the cornerstones o f the W E G S club. 0013-7952/90/$03.50

© 1990 - - Elsevier Science Publishers B.V.

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The WEGS activities inspire and facilitate cooperation, but WEGS does not wish to replace or regulate the bilateral or multilateral cooperation which already exists between the geological surveys. Cooperation between the geological surveys has always existed. Most, or probably all~ of the geological surveys do have some practical cooperation. Some of the cooperative projects were presented at the EUG V Meeting in Strasbourg in March 1989. Examples are the Southern North Sea Marine Geology project which includes 5 countries, the North Kalott Project and the Mitt Norden Project. In this connection the WEGS' function is to facilitate cooperation through the personal understanding and confidence of the directors. ACTIVITIES The activities of the WEGS include an annual general meeting and excursion and a few ad hoc working groups which prepare selected items for the general assembly. Working groups The Advisory Group on the Application of Computers is in close contact with the International Consortium of Geological Surveys for Earth Computing Sciences (ICGSECS). The Group has established three subgroups to study (1) mass storage on optical discs, (2) work stations as building blocks of information systems, and (3) expert systems. Database management and European network systems are also highpriority topics for the Group. The Standing Group on Geological Information Related to the Environment has on its agenda (1) exchange of knowledge of environmental geology, (2) methods of data exchange between geological surveys, (3) developments in computer communications and reports on the ICGSECS, (4) map index database (for which there is a working party), (5) standards in environmental geology, and (6) a geological synthesis of Western Europe. The group on Regional Geochemical Mapping and Related Activities has now started an orientation study comprising 10-15 samples per country in 6-7 countries. The results of this study are to be evaluated by September 1990, before a full-scale project is launched. WEGS does not yet have a formal group on marine geology, but, as a result of the EEC adopting the Southern North Sea Project (mentioned above) at the beginning of 1989, it is possible that an advisory Marine Geology Group will be established on the basis of a proposal from the existing and very active North Sea Project committee. Field excursions The value of having geology demonstrated in the field instead of only hearing or reading about it can hardly be overemphasised. During the lifetime of WEGS most parts of Western Europe have been visited by the WEGS directors. Thus members of each geological survey know personally about geological and socio-economic situations from Greenland, Iceland, Norway, and Finland in the north to Portugal,

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Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey in the south. The opportunity will be taken to extend that knowledge when Austria will host the meeting in 1990.

The annual meetings The annual meetings serve the purpose of sharing information and opinions. The exchange covers many topics, some of which are of crucial importance to the fundamental well-being of mankind. One such topic is the analysis of the trends in the need of society for geological support, and the identification of new relevant fields of operation for national surveys to satisfy that need. Another topic is the identification of relationships to national and international organisations, stimulating cooperation on major projects, and ensuring a more realistic and updated picture of the evolution of the geoscientific situation throughout Western Europe from year to year. The directors also exchange information on new strategies and priorities developed by their surveys. This can help other surveys to develop strategies and priorities of their own, particularly in meeting demands to strengthen the quality of our research and the efficiency of our service to society at a time of shrinking financial support. Other types of information that is exchanged relate to new methods, technologies and major research programmes, which very often can be regarded as the basis for--or even the tools for--the solution of future problems. The members of WEGS also share information on organisational and other changes in the surveys, such as cuts and administrative adjustments made to meet the needs of society. Like most public organisations the national geological surveys are administered by the governments. From time to time they are evaluated by various commissions and panels, with resulting reorganisations and cuts almost inevitable. Quite a few of the WEGS member-surveys have been subjected to such treatment within the last few years and it is clear that experiences from other geological surveys can be of great value in the ensuing debates. So, to have some facts for comparison, WEGS is now assembling a register of the obligations, working fields and resources of all the surveys. A first attempt of such a compilation made by one of the surveys, demonstrated how amazingly different the working conditions are for the geological surveys throughout Western Europe. Similar large variations are apparent in working fields, in obligations, and in financial and staffing arrangements. The exchange of viewpoints covers a wide range of problems. Not surprisingly, the opinions often reflect the working conditions and the role of the surveys in society. Even if a common obligation for the geological surveys is to bridge the gap between the scientific world and the administrative world, there are big differences in how and how much the surveys are involved in planning and development in their respective countries. In the WEGS there is a common feeling that politicians and other decision makers should be more aware of the potential benefits of using the surveys' data and experience. Increased appreciation would not necessarily increase the workload of the surveys, nor would more resources become available for them, but there would be a deal of satisfaction for the geologists in seeing their results applied appropriately

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for the great benefit of society. Without doubt, decisions based on generalised or very simple assumptions on geological conditions are of significantly lower quality than decisions based on facts and experienced together with well documented geologic models pertaining to and developed for the actual purpose.

The Synthesis Proiect The above considerations led to the idea of the Synthesis Project with the objective of all the surveys bringing together their experiences of socio-economic problems related to environmental geology. It is planned that they will describe these problems in case histories from all parts of Western Europe and indicate geological tools which could contribute to their solution. A concrete result from the Synthesis Project would be a guideline book oil environmental geology which would demonstrate to the politicians and other decision makers how and at which stages of planning they could benefit from the application of geological data, knowledge, and expertise. The book is planned to include chapters on water resource management, land-use management, hazards in engineering geology, management of the sub-surface environment and the role of geosciences. All 21 member-surveys should participate in the work and contribute to the compilation of the publication. A major part of the Project could be financed by the surveys themselves, but external money for meetings and coordination is needed. Because of the political situation in Europe it is not easy to identify a source of financial support which all Western European countries can accept. A recent proposal for support made to the SCIENCE program of the EEC was rejected, but there is a general feeling in the WEGS that the Project is so vital to the well-being of Western Europe that it should be accomplished, and that an alternative solution should be found to ensure the completion.

Three levels of #!~rmation Of three levels of information about environmental geology the Synthesis would be the one meant for the decision makers. The second level is that relevant to individual technical users. The Synthesis would fill the role of guiding them to the geological surveys where the data and expertise identified in the guideline book would be found to be of high quality, well organised and easy accessible. The third level is represented by the geological surveys themselves. To meet the needs of the users, their data and service should be first class. Databanks should be maintained at a high standard. Data networks should function well and allow exchange of data necessary for national and for some specified international purposes, the latter being of special concern to Western Europe as a whole. This demands the establishment of (1) minimum criteria concerning types of information necessary for different purposes, (2) minimum standards for essential parameters, and (3) agreed formats for data exchange.

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PERSPECTIVES OF THE WEGS' COOPERATION

The most important result of the cooperation within the WEGS is the good contact established between the geological surveys. A network now exists in which the surveys know each other and can support each other. They can readily exchange information and share the evaluation of new trends in society and in geology. The personal contacts facilitate cooperation in bilateral and multilateral projects, and a better understanding of working conditions and local problems in other countries make it possible for the geological surveys to see themselves more clearly as fundamental to the European society and to the geological community as a whole. In this way the geological surveys can face future challenges together, confident of the quality and relevance of their contribution to planning and development. Given that politicians and the like recognise its fundamental importance, that contribution could be very large. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Mr. Innes Lumsden, Oxford, is cordially thanked for valuable comments on the manuscript.