Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine

Biosedimentology Unit

Dr Azra Meadows teaching Kalash girls in the valled of Rumbur, Chitral, NWFP, Pakistan, 2005. Rural education, especially of girls, is of paramount importance in isolated communities. The girls are dressed in traditional Kalash costumes College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences

Postal Address: Graham Kerr Building
Office: 12A The Square
University of Glasgow
Glasgow G12 8QQ
Scotland, United Kingdom

Tel. 00 44 (0) 141 330 6622/6624
Fax. 00 44 (0) 141 330 5971

Emails:
Azra Meadows OBE azra.meadows@glasgow.ac.uk  
Peter Meadows SQA  peter.meadows@glasgow.ac.uk


Coastal Zone, Marine, Deep sea

Developing Countries and Charities

Distinctions

Rivers and Mountains

Mission Statement

We focus on applied and strategic research and consultancy. This centres on the management and sustainability of coastal, marine and mountain environments, and their rural communities. Much of this work is in developing countries and is multidisciplinary.

We advise on rural community uplift, access to clean water, and the sustainable use of natural resources. We investigate how biodiversity can control sediment and soil stability, erosion and transport. We advise on the effects of natural hazards on rural communities.

Our work is fundamental to an understanding of many current problems in environmental engineering and isolated rural communities. It is directly relevant to novel strategies in environmental management, hazard assessment and biodiversity conservation in relation to climate change. It is therefore central to the prediction of man's long-term impact on rivers and estuaries, and his long-term sustainable use of mountain, coastal zone and deep-sea environments.


 Swiftly flowing mountain stream with narrow footbridge, Chitral. HWFP, Pakistan. The footbridges are often the only way of moving between the very isolated villages in these regions. They need regular repair because of damage by flash floods              Village women washing clothes in spring water. Non-availability of clean water is a central issue for most rural communities in developing countries.

© Swiftly flowing mountain stream with
narrow footbridge. Chitral. NWFP, Pakistan.
The footbridges are often the only way
of moving between the very isolated
villages in these regions. They need
regular repair because of damage by
flash floods.

         

© Sindh coastal zone. Pakistan.
Village women washing clothes in
spring water. Non-availability of clean
water is a central issue for most rural
communities in developing countries.



Background

The Biosedimentology Group was established in the 1980's as the Biosedimentology Unit, and developed from research on the interaction between biodiversity and seabed ecosystems. Since then we have diversified to become leaders in a wide range of rural support and research programmes, scientific mountain expeditions, and deep-sea research cruises worldwide.

With the British Council, we forward intercultural dialogue and understanding through a number of international programmes.


R.V Thomas Washington, Scripps Inst. of Oceanography, USA. Sampling between Tahiti and Hawaii, Pacific Ocean, 1987. Freefall equipment being deployed for sampling manganese nodules on the seabed, 5,000 meters water depth © R.V. Thomas Washington, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, USA.

Sampling between Tahiti and Hawaii, Pacific Ocean. 1987.

Freefall equipment being deployed for sampling manganese nodules on the seabed. 5,000 metres water depth.  


Islamabad Pakistan, November 2005, after massive October 2005 earthquake in India, Kashmir and Pakistan. Thousands of displaced persons were rapidly given tent accommodation following the earthquake. Funding from donor agencies, governments and private citizens globally© Tent village, outside Islamabad, Pakistan, November 2005 after massive October 2005 earthquake in India, Kashmir and Pakistan.

Thousands of displaced persons were rapidly given tent accommodation following the earthquake.

Funding from donor agencies, governments, and private citizens globally.


International Links

We have collaborative links with governmental and non-governmental institutions worldwide. These involve biologists, engineers, sociologists and medical doctors.

Countries
These have included Algeria, Australia, Hawaii, Libya, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, Qatar, Tahiti, and United Arab Emirates.

Our current main focus countries are                                  
Pakistan and the United Kingdom


Please note - all photographs - Copyright Azra & Peter Meadows