10th annual report on the international status of engineering geology-year 2004-2005; encompassing hydrogeology, environmental geology and the applied geosciences

摘要

The year was particularly eventful in terms of the recognition of improved technologies impinging on the duties of the Engineering Geologist. National economies were stained to the limit under the pressure of the new world terrorist attacks and burgeoning populations, much of which stemmed from escapes from oppressive national regimes to the free world. The impacts of terrorism range from increased danger and costs of field work, to special design considerations and postponed and delayed project work. On the positive side, continued progress has been made in the means of recognition and professional development of our practitioners and in the general call for their work. Competent engineering geologists are in consistent demand, but the working conditions are not improved. A general deterioration of university funding, aggravated by bureaucratic excesses among administrators, have tended to make life miserable for dedicated faculty and a general move is afoot to cut back on the number of funded geology departments in North America and Europe. This situation has also been worsened by the general withdrawal of the mineral industries and by retraction of the petroleum companies from all but their most favored campuses.