Air Pollution 2017

25th International Conference on Modelling, Monitoring and Management of Air Pollution

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25 - 27 April, 2017
Cadiz, Spain

Overview

Air Pollution 2017

The 25th International Conference on Modelling, Monitoring and Management of Air Pollution took place at the University of Cadiz, organised by that Institution, represented by Prof David Almorza, the University of the West of England, represented by Prof Jim Longhurst and Dr Jo Barnes, and the Wessex Institute, represented by Prof Carlos A Brebbia.

The meeting which was sponsored by the WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment and the International Journal of Environmental Impacts, was held at the School of Human Resources of the University of Cadiz, which is housed in a renovated heritage building in the front of the town’s recreational beach.

Cadiz was a most appropriate location for the conference. It is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe and surrounded by sea. It is renowned for its maritime heritage and the important position it once held as a centre for trade between Spain and its vast overseas Empire. This resulted in a period of rapid expansion for the City, numerous trading houses and residences were built in an architectural style that still persists to this day. Cadiz is also the place where the first Spanish constitution was drafted and the cradle of Spanish democracy. Due to its rich history the City is full of monuments and museums.

Cadiz with more than 3,000 years history has become a case study for sustainable development; the City’s many museums, public gardens and spaces enhance the life of the inhabitants and give them a feeling of empowerment, difficult to find in many other towns.

Opening the Conference 

The conference was opened by David Almorza, Professor at the School of Human Resources, who welcomed the delegates in the name of the University. He commented on the attractions of Cadiz and hoped that the participants would be able to see some of the sights.

Jim Longhurst welcomed the delegates in the name of his University and talked about the importance of this type of meeting to further networks and joint projects.

Prof Carlos A Brebbia of Wessex Institute then welcomed the delegates and expressed the gratitude of the conference to the University of Cadiz for the use of the School of Human Resources’ excellent meeting facilities

He referred to the rich history of Cadiz and hoped that the delegates would have time to explore the many attractions offered by the city. He made special mention of Cadiz’s history as a link for the convergence of many different trades and nationalities, which gave the city an international outlook.

Carlos explained the function of his Institute that has organised, amongst other activities, this International Conference for a quarter of a century, bringing to the attention of the community the latest developments in air pollution research. This wealth of information is now freely available in the digital library of the Institute (www.witpress.com/elibrary) where all air pollution papers can be freely downloaded.

The dissemination of scientific and technical information is one of the primary functions of WIT, together with the continuous research and development of advanced computational tools. The Institute, originating in a research group at the Southampton University, is regarded as the birth place of the boundary element method, a tool now widely used for practical engineering analysis. Recent developments at the Institute continue to expand its range of applications in a myriad of problems of interest to engineering practitioners.

The meetings programme organised by the Institute, Carlos explained, consists of a series of conferences, seminars and courses given in many different locations, in addition to the Institute Campus. The conferences, in particular, are usually organised in conjunction with a University with which WIT has existing links, such as the University of Cadiz.

Keynote Address 

The keynote address was given by Jim Longhurst on the topic of “The continuing challenge of managing local air quality”.  The general feeling is that the Air Quality Action Plans run by local authorities in the UK have been rather ineffective and failed to improve the air quality in their regions.  Some of the measures are of a very general nature and long term.  Governments have been slow in protecting public health and unable to spend the necessary budgets.  In Europe, the WHO estimates that about 500,000 people die prematurely every year due to air pollution.  Long term effects of air pollution are now being investigated and estimates calculated of the number of deaths.  The figures demonstrate that the assumption that nothing is required is no longer valid.

Invited Presentations 

The conference was enhanced by a series of invited presentations:

  • Air pollution modelling
  • Case studies
  • Air quality studies
  • Coastal city environment
  • Monitoring and measuring
  • Exposure and health

Conference Topics  

The papers were divided in a series of sessions under the following headings:

  • Coastal processes
  • The beach: sediments and water interaction
  • Coastal risk assessment
  • The coastal city and its environment
  • Tourism and the city
  • Urban planning
  • City heritage
  • Air quality studies

Activities 

The delegates had many occasions of interacting and discussing problems of common interest during the coffee breaks, lunches and social occasions, as well as during the formal sessions.

A special city tour was organised at the end of the first day. The tour was under a professional guide and helped the participants to know each other better.

Cadiz, capital of the province of Cadiz, is a port city founded by the Phoenicians approximately 3,000 years ago. It is the most ancient surviving city in Western Europe. Situated in South Western Spain, Cadiz is surrounded by the sea on three sides. Its name and reputation have forever been linked with its maritime heritage. Due to the rich history of Cadiz, its monuments, buildings and museums are full of stories and depictions of the past. The old central quarters are famous for their picturesque charm, and many of the buildings reflect the city’s overseas links.

Walking through the streets of Cadiz the delegates saw some of the monumental, historical and cultural highlights of the city such as Cathedral Square, Santa Catalina Castle and the Roman Theatre.

The International Scientific Advisory Committee (ISAC) met over dinner to discuss how to improve the meeting. Different topics of current interest were put forward as well as nominations for new members of the Committee. The success of the conference is due to its continuous evolution. Several locations for the 2019 meeting were discussed (the 2018 conference will be held in Naples, with the collaboration of Parthenope University).

Conference Dinner

The Conference Banquet took place in the renowned Peña Flamenca La Perla (Flamenco Academy) which is an important component of the cultural life of Cadiz. The town has its own distinctive style of flamenco, with a series of Alegrias typical of Cadiz. Alegrias, which means happiness, can also be translated as the joie de vivre, a form of celebrating life to the full. The flamenco show that took place after dinner included, as a friendly touch, a niece of David Almorza in the programme. She is a gifted amateur dancer who has recently won an important competition. As different from numerous shows now offered in Spain, this was a genuine flamenco night.

The quality of the show and informal setting contributed to the friendliness of the occasion and created the right atmosphere for the development of stronger links amongst the delegates.

Closing of the Conference

The Conference was closed by its Co-Chairs, Professors C A Brebbia, David Almorza, Jim Longhurst and Jo Barnes, who thanked the delegates for their contribution to the success of the meeting.  The next conference will take place at the University of Parthenope in Naples from 19-21 June 2018.

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