Ravage of the Planet 2011

Third International Conference on Management of Natural Resources, Sustainable Development and Ecological Hazards

13 - 15 December 2011, Malaysia

Organisers

Wessex Institute of Technology, UK
Universiti Teknologi Mara, Malaysia

Description

The success of the two previous International Conferences on Management of Natural Resources, Sustainable Development and Ecological Hazards (Ravage of the Planet), held in Bariloche, Argentina (2006) and in Gordons Bay, South Africa (2009), has led the organisers to reconvene the meeting in Malaysia.

The conference has always been well attended by a substantial group of scientists from all over the world, which underlines the concern of the international community regarding the state of the planet. The basic premise of the meeting is the need to determine urgent solutions before we reach a point of irreversibility.

Our current civilisation has fallen into a self-destructive process by which natural resources are consumed at an increasing rate. This process has now spread across the planet in search of further sources of energy and materials. The aggressiveness of this quest is such that the future of our planet is in the balance. The process is compounded by the pernicious effects of the resulting pollution.

The conference will discuss the objective of reaching sustainability in the framework of all different disciplines in order to arrive at optimal solutions. Hence this meeting is essentially transdisciplinary in order to find appropriate sustainable solutions, i.e. those involving collaboration across a wide range of disciplines. Like the first two, the aim of this conference is to take stock of our situation and try to facilitate constructive principles and policies for a way forward.

Topics

The re-encounter

• Science and humanities
• Arts and sciences
• Science and ethics

Political and social issues

• Social and sociological issues
• Environmental legislation and policy
• International agreements
• Crimes against nature

Planning and development

• City planning
• Regional planning and economics
• Spatial planning
• Sustainable transport
• Resource management
• Tourism and the environment
• Waste management

Safety

• Risk analysis, assessment and management
• Information and communication issues
• Transportation problems
• Emergency response
• Disaster prevention, control management and protection
• Protection of cultural and historical heritage

Health risks

• Water, air and soil problems
• Radiation fields
• Food contamination
• Housing and health
• Occupational health
• Social and economic issues
• Exposure and epidemiology

New technologies

• The impact of new technologies
• Energy-efficient technologies
• Eco-architecture

Learning from nature

• Design in nature
• Nature and architecture
• Solutions from nature
• Evolutionary studies

Ecology

• Natural resources management
• Biodiversity
• Sustainability indicators
• Environmental risk
• Recovery of damaged areas
• Ecosystems modelling
• Agricultural and forestation issues
• Landscape

Energy

• Renewable energy
• Nuclear energy
• Hydrocarbons
• Production of new energy
• Economics and political issues
• Energy conservation

Water Resources

• Water management and planning
• River basin and watershed management
• Sustainable water use
• Arid region problems
• Pollution monitoring and control

Air

• Air quality management
• Global and regional studies
• Climatology

Soil

• Agricultural issues
• Contamination
• Underground resources
• Remediation

Web Page

View the conference website, which has full details about the conference objectives, topics and submission requirements at: http://www.wessex.ac.uk/11-conferences/ravageoftheplanet-2011.html

Water and Society 2011

First International Conference on Water and Society

5 - 7 December 2011, Las Vegas, USA

Organisers

University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA
Wessex Institute of Technology

Description

This first International Conference on Water and Society aims to provide a multi-disciplinary forum for the presentation and discussion of many issues affecting water resources today.

The meeting will encourage trans-disciplinary communication on issues related to the nature of water, and its use and exploitation by society. The conference is motivated by the need to bridge the gap between the broad spectrum of social sciences and humanistic disciplines and specialists in physical sciences, biology, environmental sciences, health and others that, in the words of Ilya Prigogine, constitute the “hard” sciences.

Water, as the source of all life, is the most precious substance on the planet. Its comparative abundance has led to many misuses which will seriously impair our common future. Problems such as water degradation and contamination are impossible to resolve without the participation of many different disciplines. These issues are, by definition, trans-national and relate to rights of states and hence it is essential to discuss these at international level to arrive at equitable and binding solutions that will ensure the rights of society to quality water supplies.

Topics

• The nature of water
• Water as a human right
• Water as the source of life
• Water in a changing climate
• Future water demands and adaptation strategies
• Water resources contamination
• Surface and sub-surface water resources
• Irrigation and desertification
• Water, sanitation and health
• Transnational water rights
• Legislation and controls
• Water through the ages
• Lessons to be learnt
• Water and disaster management

Web Page

View the conference website, which has full details about the conference objectives, topics and submission requirements at: http://www.wessex.ac.uk/11-conferences/waterandsociety-2011.html

Contact and Surface 2011

10th International Conference on Surface Effects and Contact Mechanics

21 - 23 September 2011, Malta

Organisers

Wessex Institute of Technology, UK
University of Groningen, The Netherlands

Description

The importance of contact and surface effects in modern engineering and their combined effects led the organisers to reconvene this 10th International Conference, which covers two related topics: Computational Methods and Experiments in Contact Mechanics and Surface Effects.

Nowadays the importance of contact and surface problems in many technological fields is well understood. They are complex and inherently non-linear due to the moving boundary and the different properties of materials, particularly along the contact surfaces. Structural components failure by wear, corrosion and high cycle fatigue are affected and initiated by the surface conditions. The use of surface treatments can reduce the cost of components and extend the life of the elements for surfaces undergoing contact, a problem that will be specifically addressed by the conference.

The meeting will particularly emphasise the application of advanced theories and experimental techniques. Participants will be encouraged to critically review existing ideas and to explore new areas of research.

The series first started in Southampton, UK (1993); continued in Ferrara and Milan, Italy (1995); Oxford, UK and Madrid, Spain (1997); Stuttgart, Germany and Assisi, Italy (1999); Seville, Spain (2001); Crete, Greece (2003); Bologna, Italy (2005); New Forest, UK (2007) and Algarve, Portugal (2009).

Topics

• Computer simulation
• Surface modification
• Surface treatments
• Surface problems in contact mechanics
• Contact mechanics
• Applications and case studies
• Indentation and hardness
• Thick and thin coatings
• Corrosion problems
• Nano-characterisation
• Test methodology
• Multiscale experiments and modelling
• Fracture fatigue and mechanics

Web Page

View the conference website, which has full details about the conference objectives, topics and submission requirements at: http://www.wessex.ac.uk/11-conferences/contactandsurface-2011.html

Air Pollution 2011

19th International Conference on Modelling, Monitoring and Management of Air Pollution

19 - 21 September 2011, Malta

Organiser

Wessex Institute of Technology, UK

Description

This is the 19th Annual Meeting in the successful series of international conferences dealing with Modelling, Monitoring and Management of Air Pollution.

The series started in Mexico (1993) and continued in Barcelona (1994); Halkidiki (1995); Toulouse (1996); Bologna (1997); Genova (1998); San Francisco (1999); Cambridge, UK (2000); Ancona (2001); Segovia (2002); Catania (2003); Rhodes (2004); Cordoba (2005); New Forest (2006); the Algarve (2007); Skiathos (2008); Tallinn (2009) and Kos (2010). All these meetings have attracted outstanding contributions from leading researchers from all over the world and all papers presented since 1993 stored in the WIT eLibrary (http://library.witpress.com).

Air pollution is highly topical nowadays due to the increase in the number of emission sources and the significance that good quality air has on human health. The complexity of this topic is increased by the fact that air pollution generated locally can have an impact on a regional and in some cases even on a global scale. The contaminants emitted in one place can quickly disperse through the atmosphere and industrial activities in one country can affect the air quality in another. More accurate and reliable predictive models are necessary, which can be used to assess the influence of one or several sources of pollution on various end points. Improvements are possible through better quantification of emission rates and more accurate information on composition of pollutants of various sources. This includes improving transport models on a regional scale, which can include accurate predictionson a local scale where necessary, enhancing knowledge of chemical reactions transforming existing and creating new pollutants, deposition of particles, and understanding the impact of separate pollutants and combinations of pollutants on human health and the environment.

Technology constantly brings new products to the consumers and with this comes the possibility of creating new contaminants. This development constantly demands research in the field of air pollution in order to better understand, prevent, or bring to acceptable levels, new pollution sources. The process of defining acceptable levels is demanding new research to understand better the impact of long term exposure to various pollutants, or mixtures where separate components can have synergistic effects. Improved knowledge of the effect of pollutants on human health forces periodic review of the regulations for air quality and emissions. Further research for improving monitoring and detection technology is required in order to be able to verify that the current regulations for air quality are satisfied, and to identify areas where further improvements are required.

The goal of this conference is to bring together researchers who are active in the study of air contaminants and to exchange information through the presentation and discussion of papers dealing with the wide variety of topics described below. Case study papers are encouraged. Papers of a more theoretical nature, dealing with advanced mathematical and computational methods, will also be within the scope of the conference.

Topics

• Air pollution modelling
• Air quality management
• Urban air management
• Emissions studies
• Monitoring and measuring
• Global and regional studies
• Aerosols and particles
• Climate change and air pollution
• Indoor air pollution
• Pollution prevention
• Economics of air pollution control
• Innovative technologies
• Emission reduction strategies
• Health effects
• Natural emissions

Web Page

View the conference website, which has full details about the conference objectives, topics and submission requirements at: http://www.wessex.ac.uk/11-conferences/airpollution-2011.html

Lake Sustainablity 2011

First International Conference on Lake Sustainability

13 - 15 September 2011, New Forest, UK

Organiser

Wessex Institute of Technology, UK

Description

The first international conference on Lake Sustainability aims to bring together researchers and practitioners from a wide range of different disciplines involved in the study of lake environments and ecosystems. The conference will attract physical scientists, biologists, ecologists, as well as others working on other aspects of lake sustainability, including economists, social and political scientists and specialists that can contribute to a better understanding of lacustrine environments.

The management of lakes is facing numerous challenges nowadays, some of them related to natural and many others to anthropogenic causes. Climate change in particular will have serious consequences for lake environments, while man’s increasing demands will require an integrated approach to lake management, considering not only the entire watershed area but also the different socioeconomic and ecological aspects. Any proposed solution will require improvements in ecosystems services, and the development of lake ecosystems. Furthermore, more information needs to be processed and shared regarding lake and habitat restoration and the conference would welcome concrete examples and case studies.

Lake systems are complex and characterized by being in a continuous state of evolution and change. They can be easily disturbed, leading to major ecological or environmental disasters as evidenced by many cases in the past. Their behaviour requires careful analysis before attempts are made to alter existing conditions. Well documented disasters have emphasized the need to consider lake environments in their entirety, applying interdisciplinary approaches.
The conference will deal with all topics related to the behavior of lakes, including physical, biological, pollution, water resources management, socio-economic aspects, restoration and exploitation and many others as given in the conference topics. Because of the complexity of the problems, the list only includes a summary of the most important issues, other topics related to lake sustainability will also be considered.

Topics

• Climate change issues
• Integrated socio-economic and ecological aspects
• Lakes drainage and watershed
• Large lakes
• Small lake issues
• Saline lakes
• Floodplain lakes
• Alpine lakes
• Artificial lakes and reservoirs
• Lake management
• Sustainable management strategies
• Lake ecosystems
• Ecosystems services management
• Sustainability and ecological indicators
• Hydrobiological issues
• Water chemistry issues
• Palaeoenvironments
• Water resources management
• Lakes and agriculture
• Pollution control
• Toxicology and eutrophication studies
• Lake and habitat restoration
• Lakes as features of development
• Leisure and tourism
• Political and international issues
• Case studies

Web Page

View the conference website, which has full details about the conference objectives, topics and submission requirements at: http://www.wessex.ac.uk/11-conferences/lakesustainability-2011.html