Geoethics: Perspective Bangladesh

Abstract

Geologists are becoming more socially involved professionals as their activities are increasingly focusing on social safety, ensuring that societal interactions with the planet are done in an environmentally friendly, safe and sustainable way. As a consequence, geologists need to be aware of the ethical perspectives of their profession and this awareness is most successfully enhanced through professional collaborations and a strong community. Unfortunately, these are lacking in Bangladesh, largely as a result of only very few geologists employed in a small subject sector that is much undervalued, partly as most people perceive the local geology to be rather monotonous and the potential valuable contributions of geologists not being appreciated. Still, there is much scope for geological sciences to perform vital services in Bangladesh, from both a societal and an environmental perspective. Geologists can serve other professionals such as agriculturists, economists, environmentalists, engineers, doctors, policy-makers as well as general people in a scientific way. Ensuring that these services are developed appropriately requires a leading role of geoethics to provide a relevant philosophical context and guidance.