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The Department of Geological Survey
Botswana (DGS): - by Hudson Ngwisanyi.
MISSION
The Department of Geological Survey (DGS) exists to advance knowledge on the
earth resources of Botswana and to advice government and public on their
sustainable utilization to the benefit of all. This is done by acquiring, archiving,
interpreting and disseminating geo-science information on Botswana in order to
facilitate:
1. The speedy discovery and development of mineral and water resources for
sustained economic growth, heath and safety, and
2. Sustainable land resources utilization and the use of best practices for
environmental upkeep and protection.
Institutional Framework
The DGS was established in 1948, primarily to address water supply challenges. It
later grew from a focus on water only to include minerals and coal. This has been the
focus since, with a lesser emphasis on coal.
At present there are six primary operational divisions driving the mandate of the
department. These are Regional Geological Mapping, Economic Geology,
Hydrogeology, Geophysics, Environmental and Engineering Geology, and National
Geoscience Information Centre. These are supported by the Chemistry and Mineral
Dressing laboratories, Cartography and Drilling Sections.
The DGS is directly responsible for gathering, assessing and disseminating data
related to rocks, soils and minerals. To fulfil this responsibility, the DGS administers
the concession of mineral prospecting rights to companies and individuals. It also
undertakes regional geological, geophysical and geochemical mapping, and mineral
potential studies.
In the water sector the DGS undertakes regional groundwater investigations,
assessment of groundwater, do recharge studies, monitoring of water levels and
chemical changes within aquifers. Such information is used by the agricultural sector
as well as the water authorities.
The environmental and engineering geology sections are fairly new. It was
established to address the numerous requests on environmental and geotechnical
issues in Botswana.
Notable Achievements
Provision of geological maps at various scales to exploration companies has led to
discoveries of economic mineral deposits including vast quantities of coal. Figure 1
shows the level of exploration activity in Botswana as evidenced by the number of
exploration licenses granted for diamonds.
Editor: Stoffel Fourie
sfourie@csir.co.za
August 2008 No.1