THE Southern Bahamas Disaster Conference represents the shared commitment of the Bahamas and the United States to ensure both countries remain equipped with the tools and knowledge to properly respond to large-scale emergencies and disasters, Minister of State for Lands and Local Government Byran Woodside said. Mr Woodside said the Conference, taking place in Nassau this week, is the third in a series held throughout the Bahamas sponsored by the United States Southern Command, the Pacific Disaster Centre and the United States Embassy. Mr Woodside said the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has played an integral role in fulfilling its mandate to promote the Bahamas Comprehensive Disaster Management Strategy. "This includes assisting with the government's long-term goals of building capacity in communities as they relate to disaster preparedness and poverty alleviation," he said. "This is why it is essential to have meetings such as this with leaders and key stakeholders from each island." The conference has provided an opportunity to review and correct any deficiencies in the steps taken prior to, during, and in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, Mr Woodside said. In addition, he said, organisers scheduled panel discussions on a number of topics, including: * Application of initial damage assessments * Damage assessment and need analysis * Working with the media during the response and recovery phases * Financial procedures in disaster recovery * Improving response and recovery by building regional emergency management capabilities. Mr Woodside noted that the conference is also intended to help cultivate new ideas and strategies that will lead the Bahamas toward more effective and efficient mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery practices. He told Family Island officials they are required to ensure there is a functioning Disaster Consultative Committee in place on each island to assist with managing emergency events or incidents. "Every government ministry or department on your island is required to make a liaison officer available to be a part of your committee to assist with preparing and developing action plans that will guarantee disaster resilient communities. You do not have to manage these events alone. Touching on the theme of the conference, Mr Woodside said: "It has always been the intent of the government of the Bahamas to build on initiatives that would complement 'Building Disaster Resilient Communities through Mitigation, Preparedness and Effective Recovery'. "Integrating mitigation measures such as proper building codes, sea walls and proper drainage systems are of critical importance. All of these are necessary for community development and for reducing the risks associated with hurricane related or any other natural or man-made disasters."