When Prof. Hatheron was asked to delineate the history of geostatistics, he objected that such discipline is still too "young" to be treated from a historical point of view. The more and more increasing practical applications requiring newer and newer methodologies would rather suggest the necessity of empha sizing the steps taken and the results obtained up to now. The reason of certain epistemological choices as well as the difficul ties and success in establishing a dialogue with the people most likely to benefit from the results of geostatistics are necessary premises to understand the present status of this discipline. The human bearing of characters of the persons that have introduc ed and studied this science blending theory with economic prac tics is a factor playing a not inconsiderable role in the develop ment of geostatistics. These concepts were the guidelines in organizing the ASI-Geo stat 75. Canada, France and Italy are three different situations in an industrial and academic context, especially in the interac tion between these fields. Yet it was our impression that the time had come to assemble experts, scholars, and other people in terested in geostatistics in order to evaluate its present posi tion on various levels in the different countries and to discuss its future prospects. Prof. Hatheron and Hr. Krige as well as other prominent people were of the same opinion.

In its 8th edition the SAFE conference continues to publish important research contributing to the development of the field. The papers included in this volume are the work of engineers, scientists, field researchers, managers and other specialists involved in one or more of the theoretical and practical aspects of safety and security. Safety and Security Engineering, due to its special nature, is an interdisciplinary area of research and application that brings together in a systematic way, many disciplines of engineering, from the traditional to the most technologically advanced. This volume covers topics such as crisis management, security engineering, natural and man-made disasters and emergencies, risk management, and control, protection and mitigation issues. Specific themes include: Risk analysis, assessment and management; System safety engineering; Incident monitoring; Information and communication security; Disaster management; Emergency response; Critical infrastructure protection; Counter terrorism issues; Human factors; Transportation safety and security; Modelling and experiments; Security surveillance systems; Loss prevention; BIM in Safety and Security.

Safety and Security Studies is an interdisciplinary area of research and this book includes specially selected papers. These papers encompass the work of engineers, scientists, field researchers and other specialists involved in one or more of the theoretical and practical aspects of safety and security. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of this field it forms an area of research and application that brings together in a systematic way, many disciplines of engineering, from the traditional to the most technologically advanced. This volume covers topics such as crisis management, security engineering, natural and man-made disasters and emergencies, risk management, and control, protection and mitigation issues.