TRADE CORRIDORS

INTRODUCTION

The OSDE/OAS supports the member states of the OAS in promoting the development of trade corridors --an emerging regional planning unit -- by contributing to an understanding of environmental management concerns related to corridors, identifying existing knowledge and expertise in the region, and promoting the resiliency of these corridors to natural hazards. The purpose of this site is to advance these efforts.

The OSDE/OAS Training and Research for Trade Corridor Development Project (PROCORREDOR) has two principal components: (1) research on trade corridor development; methods and techniques of analysis; and (2) training in reviewing and refining the methods and techniques analysis. The primary focus is the environmental management of trade-corridor development as manifested in the impact of economic, social, and technical change on the natural environments and the impact of natural phenomena on trade corridors.

Trade corridors are geographic areas with undefined boundaries containing natural resources, economic and social infrastructure, and settled populations. These regions support existing urban growth and establish new relationships between dominant cities, economic development, and rural areas. Trade corridors have at least three characteristics that distinguish them from simple groupings of cities connected by roads. Their production function, which makes basic goods and services available; their transformation function, which adds value to the basic goods and services; and their provision of access to national and international markets.

The OSDE/OAS supports multidisciplinary and sectoral efforts by public and private-sector environmental groups working on the development of trade corridors with the objective of better management of physical space and incorporation of sustainable use of resources in planning at the political, institutional, economic, and social levels. This site is a macro effort, focusing on international or regional  networks. Its aim is to present information on complementary areas related to trade-corridor development in each of  the three geographic regions.

The information available on trade corridors can be accessed in either English or Spanish (coming soon). The Overview section contains general information about trade corridors that is not specific to any particular region nor corridor. In the sections devoted to each of the three geographic regions (North America, Central America, and South America), the available information is divided into two subsections: trade corridors and complementary information about that region. Each subsection is then further divided into topical areas.

The trade-corridor subsection is divided into topics that include a composite description of the trade corridors (information about multiple corridors and more than one aspect of trade corridors), economic aspects, energy, environmental aspects, maps, natural hazards, commerce, transportation, and social aspects.  The complementary information subsection is also divided into composite description of trade corridors (information related to more than one aspect of a specific region), economic aspects, environmental aspects, natural hazards, and social aspects.

The site has been prepared to make more accessible existing material on the subject of environmental management of trade-corridor development in the Americas. It is important to point out that it is not exhaustive. In order to improve it, we would appreciate any suggestions of additional web-site addresses or documents that you can provide. If you are interested in doing so, please contact the OSDE/OAS through the Information Page.

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Condiciones de descargo y responsabilidad

This page was last updated on Tuesday, June 18, 2002