Urban geology for the mitigation of seismic risk in the ESCAP region.

Emphasises that geological data are critical to proper land use planning and are essential to the mitigation of disasters due to earthquakes. Understanding the geological conditions beneath cities makes it possible for geoscientists and geological engineers to prepare thematic maps which show not only the locations of active faults and seismic prone areas but also the occurrence of industrial minerals, groundwater supplies and the geotechnical properties of urban subsoils. All of these elements are essential to the development of the city. In the past, valuable groundwater supplies have been mismanaged because of the lack of understanding of the geologic and hydrologic environment. Consequently, land subsidence and salt water intrusion are increasingly important problems throughout the region. Moreover, the expansion of the city over areas of important industrial sand/gravel deposits results in their sterilization and increases the costs of construction due to higher transportation charges. The improper drainage of industrial and urban waste waters has resulted in the contamination of aquifers in many parts of coastal cities in the region