Mitigation: Unbounded by Time and Place

The Texas Division of Emergency Management describes emergency management as 'consisting of systems, resources, and activities designed to assist a community in mitigating against, preparing for, responding to and recovering from the effects of all hazards.' In the last edition of The Liaison, we discussed the national disaster management plan model - the document whereby all aspects of disaster and emergency management for a country are outlined in detail.

Disaster and emergency management involves four general phases - mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. No one phase represents a 'first' or initial step as countries are constantly moving in and out of one or more of these phases simultaneously which are linked inextricably to each other. Different geographical regions of every country develop at different rates, have special or unique risks to hazards, and have diverse disaster management capabilities.

For effective disaster management, it is vital that the country has a solid understanding of the entire process and can recognize the activities related to each phase and coordinate them on a continuum. In other words, a country mitigates hazards, prepares the community to handle them, responds to the emergencies, and recovers from disasters on a daily basis.

Mitigation actions are the foundation of a truly effective Emergency Management program in so much as they can break the brutal cycle of destruction, repair, destruction, repair, etc. These activities are described as any action that is taken in order to eliminate or reduce risk to property, life, and/or infrastructure. For each phase in this series, we will break down the analysis into purpose, product, structure, and plan.

The purpose of mitigation is to estimate the consequences of potential disasters. This is done by matching hazard information for the most likely disasters in an area to the vulnerability of the people and property of that same area. Resources for preparedness and response must be identified in this phase and all mitigating activities need to be identified and prioritized against other community priorities, e.g. keeping construction out of flood zones, building infrastructure to withstand the natural hazards of the area, establishing and enforcing building codes for construction.

There are several products of mitigation. Shortfalls in equipment and training will be identified. Realistic scenarios for disaster exercises can be developed. Estimates of consequences and losses from potential disasters, including estimated casualties, value of direct loss, disruption of public services and infrastructure, and economic loss, can be calculated with more accuracy. In addition, a Strategic Mitigation Plan should be developed with maps that show high-risk disaster zones. Finally, the Hazard Mitigation Annex of the country's Emergency Management Plan will be developed which:

a. Provides organization and procedures;

b. Establishes a mitigation team and team leader;

c. Provides hazard data and disaster history;

d. Assists in development and implementation of mitigation measures.

The structure of mitigation efforts include all the tools which allow mitigation personnel to identify possible hazard risks and the community's vulnerability to those risks, examine the extent to which various disasters threaten the community, and develop prioritized activities that reduce or eliminate the risk of hazards in the area and the loss of life and property from hazards that cannot be prevented. Two tools used most often are Hazard Identification and Hazard Vulnerability Analyses. The former defines the extent to which various disasters threaten the community; the latter identifies structures and areas that are most vulnerable to the identified risks.

The mitigation plan includes short-and long-term strategies for accomplishing mitigation goals. The plan describes the objectives of each mitigation activity and assigns responsibility for each element. It also identifies the participants for the various tasks to be accomplished. The required and expected resources should be specified and priorities set to ensure efficiency and efficacy.

Some tools that may help in reducing risk involve capital investment or strategic partnering on the part of the country; for example, a Global Information System database, improved topographical information, or comprehensive reviews of structural risks. Other tools involve a partnership between the government and the community, i.e. private business, local non-profit organizations, and the general citizenry. Disasters affect all members of the population either directly or indirectly so it is important that the government get the community involved in all phases of disaster management.

Tools that help reduce the community's future losses from disasters are tied to the management of the community growth and construction. Land use planning and regulation, planning for open spaces, and public safety are examples of mitigation in new construction. Managing community growth includes planning for housing, transportation and the preservation of historic resources.

Measures that can reduce the community's potential for disasters include developing or adapting policies relating to construction locations and types, providing incentives for private investment in mitigation projects, and upgrading mitigation equipment, systems, and public facilities when and where possible.

Of course, the mitigation activities must be prioritized according to the need for and resources to fund them and, likely, according other disaster activities. Furthermore, all of the disaster plan activities must be prioritized against the other non-disaster related activities that a government must manage. Given that, it is all too easy to view one activity or phase in isolation. By including all levels of the community and government, the activities can be accomplished in a prioritized manner that at least addresses the issues of the top-down, bottom-up spectrum.

In the next edition, we'll look at disaster preparedness. Any comments regarding this article and/or future articles on disaster management can be addressed to the editor of The Liaison at pr@coe-dmha.org.

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