Message from the General Chair

SHEWC'2015 - XV Safety, Health and Environment World Congress happens in Portugal and in a city that gathers history and business, Porto - the "city of work", where commerce is a great part of its history, from the great trading river at the heart of the city to the baroque churches and neoclassical buildings.

Porto is Portugal's second-largest metropolis, an age-old city that is at the same time a modern one. The old town, centered at Ribeira, was built on the hills overlooking the Douro River, and today is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Some of the attractions are the 14th-century Sao Francisco church, as well as the local port wine cellars, mostly located across the river at Vila Nova de Gaia. Besides its history and the Port Wine it's known for its School of Architecture that counts with famous names such as Alvaro Siza Vieira e Eduardo Souto de Moura.

The 15th edition of the SHEWC unite many researchers to discuss and bring solutions to environment issues not only the use of water and land but also social aspects, the safety, the global economy impact on human development, among others. SHEWC has become one important congress because it brings the best of research and projects for the enhancement of use of natural resources use, one key element for success of human future.

The theme of the congress "Keeping Planet "Water Earth" Safe and Sound: a challenge to Science and Technology" is a very serious challenge for humanity once it is the fluid of life so important for all. Many pollutants threaten water supplies, and although public awareness of the need to better manage and protect water has grown over the last decade, economic criteria and political considerations still tend to drive water policy at all levels. Clean drinking water has become a rare commodity, an economic and political issue as the human population fights for this resource due to the global population growth. However there are practical solutions to freshwater conservation but we have to take actions now.

So SHEWC'2015 is a congress that aims to provide the scientific community with up-to-date information in safety, health and environment fields, counting with the presence of experts from across the globe. The ideas, opinions and professionals contributions are showed in lectures, plenary sessions, presentations of papers and workshops. There will be an opening session with the participation of promoters of the event and several authorities. At the end, in a closing session presents the main results of the event. It shows cutting edge useful information in environment, health and safety and provides a rich encounter for the community.

As the General Chair of SHEWC'2015 on behalf of COPEC team I am pleased to thank the host institution OERN (Institute of Engineers of Portugal - North Region) that embraced the organization of this congress. It is imperative to acknowledge and thank in special all the people involved in the organization of this edition of SHEWC such as the President of OERN Eng. Fernando de Almeida Santos, Local Chair of SHEWC'2015, the Director of OERN Prof. Carlos Afonso Teixeira, Vice-local Chair of SHEWC'2015 and Mr. Miguel Angelo Souza, OERN Manager who have worked diligently for the accomplishment of a successful event.

I would like also to thank Prof. Margarida Correia Marques, Professor of UTAD and Prof. Joao Pedro Couto, Professor of UMinho for organizing special track sessions.

The XV Safety, Health and Environment World Congress - SHEWC'2015 is organized by COPEC - Science and Education Research Council and promoted by SHERO - Safety, Health and Environment Research Organization in Technical Cooperation (in alphabetical order): AAMP (Fishing Museum Friends Society), ABENC (Brazilian Society of Civil Engineers), ABENGE (Brazilian Society for Engineering Education), ABO (Brazilian Dental Association), AENUI (Asociación de Ensenantes Universitarios de la Informática), AGERCO (Brazilian Agency for Coastal Management), ASEE (American Society for Engineering Education), ASIBEI (Iberian-American Association of Engineering Education Institutions), GCMM (Global Congress on Manufacturing and Management), IEEE-Ed.Soc. (Education Society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), IFEES (International Federation of Engineering Education Societies), IGIP (Internationale Gesellschaft für Ingenieurpädagogik), INTERTECH (International Council for Engineering and Technology Education), IRCWR (International Reference Center for Water Reuse), ISTEC (Iberian American Science & Technology Education Consortium), Porto Gente (PortFolk), RBE (Brazilian Network of Engineering), RCI (Réseau Carthagene d'Ingénierie), SBA (Brazilian Automation Society), SBE (Brazilian Society of Ecotoxicology), SEFI (Société Européenne pour la Formation des Ingénieurs), SPEE (Portuguese Society for Engineering Education), SPEED (Student Platform for Engineering Education Development), WCCA (World Council on Communication and Arts) and WCSEIT (World Council on Systems Engineering and Information Technology).

I could not forget to thank to our sponsors FAPESP (State of Sao Paulo Research Foundation), CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development) and CAPES (Coordination for Improvement of Personnel of Superior Level).

I want to thank the authors and participants for their collaborations and willing to share their contributions for the development of science and technology for the betterment of humanity in their fields of expertise.

Hoping you enjoy SHEWC'2015!

 

Prof. Dr. Claudio da Rocha Brito
GENERAL CHAIR
President of COPEC