Introduction

This conference was jointly sponsored by the Center for Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance at the University of South Florida’s College of Public Health, the Organization of American States’ Unit for Sustainable Development and Environment, and the University of South Florida’s Globalization Research Center.

Trade Corridors exist within the following major trade agreement areas: North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM), the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR), the Andean Community (CAN), and the Central America Common Market (MCCA).

The conference focused on populations and settlements, water and natural resources and information infrastructure.

This hemispheric conference offered a unique opportunity to participants to showcase their products and services to experts from a variety of disciplines within international banks and agencies, government, academia, risk mitigation and the private sector, that have emerged as leaders in the strategic planning, management, and analysis of Trade Corridor development.

The conference participants represented an emerging group of users and key decision makers dealing with emergency management issues in water and sanitation, public health and community services.