Dangerous Materials: Control, Risk Prevention and Crisis Management : From New Global Threats to New Global Responses: A Picture of Transition

ADRIANO DE MAIO IReR President This publication originated from the workshop on “Control and risk prevention of dangerous materials and crisis management” that took place in Sofia, Bulgaria, in March 2009. The basic idea is that international scientific cooperation can effectively contribute to security, stability and solidarity among nations, through increased collaboration, networking and capacity-building and supporting democratic growth and economic development in Partner Countries. We are all facing new needs and threats, deriving from a world changing constantly its social, political and economic dimension and, for this reason, the international dialogue through civil science represents a way forward to comm- ment to global common issues. In fact, the Lombardy Regional Institute for Research has developed some international activities aiming at establishing networks of scientists and experts in defined areas and subjects. Through one of these activities, the Institute entered in touch with the Science for Peace and Security Programme. In this framework, we decided to share the experience of Lombardy Region on transportation of dangerous materials (half of their total transport in Italy): research and studies in civil area conducted in Lombardy Region are considered the most innovative in Europe for the results obtained. Comparison with diverse international experiences is a great opportunity of implementing present results and applying them to different applications (from civil to anti-terrorism) and extending them to countries other than Italy.

We are living in a period of major structural and political transitions. The Post-Cold-War world has overcome the barriers, unifying Europe, sorting out Balkan situation, enlarging NATO and the EU; but, at the same time, it has shifted from a simple scenario to a more complex and unpredictable globalized context. In fact, many people wonder whether the world was more secure in the past than it is today or whether this is merely a matter of psychological perceptions. This publication is willing to answer to this question, by connecting the concepts of security and safety, focusing particularly on the transportation of dangerous materials, how to avoid the risks they pose, and how to deal with any problems that do arise.