Hazard Mitigation Response
Introduction
Background
The world’s history is full of natural disasters that caused the losses of both the life and property. The disasters can categorized in numerous categories such as droughts, earthquakes, heat waves, floods, hurricanes, landslides, thunderstorms, tornadoes, tsunamis, volcanoes, wildfires, winter storm etc. . The United States alone suffered from the ten natural disasters in 2015 including a drought, wildfire, winter storm, floods, and five severe storms. The estimated financial loss of each disaster is almost $1 billion with the total death toll of 155 . The mentioned losses do not include the damage caused by manmade disasters like wars, terrorist attacks, aircraft crash, nuclear emission etc.
Mitigation
The Hazard Mitigation is a process of reducing or eliminating the risks associated with the disasters that may impact lives and property of the people. The effective planning of hazard mitigation helps in the awareness and implementation of procedures and steps that protect people’s lives and finances from any hazard . The hazard mitigation plan consists of both structural and non-structural safety measures that reduce the risks of disasters. The mitigation also helps in the process of recovery and reconstruction and reduces the chances of further damages. The mitigation process can be divided into three levels that are the risk analysis, risk insurance and risk reduction.
Preparation of Mitigation Plan
The mitigation plan is necessary for successful implementation of hazard mitigation. The good mitigation plan analyzes the risks and threats and defines the safety measures for reducing and eliminating the threats. The plan includes the updated information of community and its infrastructure to develop appropriate policies according to their safety requirements. The process of hazard mitigation planning can be divided into four phases that are organization of resources, risks assessment, development of mitigation plan, and monitoring the progress of plan after the successful implementation.
Obtaining Information
The updated and authentic information is required for the development of a better hazard mitigation plan. The government and other related authorities always require data that help them in the analysis of various factors. They may require the record of past disasters, statistical data of losses, frequency and impact of the disasters or the information about the danger zones. The information can be gathered from various sources. The sources of information may include the data and records of disaster management authorities. The online research of related websites may also provide the useful information. The information can also be gathered from the local people by arranging a community meeting or by conducting one to one discussion with the people.
Goals and objectives of the mitigation plan.
The mitigation plan should be based on the clear goals and objectives. The plan should be helpful for the protection of people from any risk related to their safety and welfare. The plan should create awareness in the people and motivate them to understand their role in the process of hazard mitigation. The plan should highlight the skills and capabilities of technical authorities and their staffs that may require before or during the disaster. The plan should consist of new or existing policies that reduce the effects of natural disaster. The roles and responsibilities of all the concerned persons and authorities should be defined for the implementation of hazard mitigation policies.
Community Hazard Exposure Profile
The analysis of community composition is a key factor in the hazard mitigation planning. It analyzes the important assets of the community and the risks related to their safety. The risks and threats can be reduced by the analysis of issues community may face during the disaster. The updated information of various places like the number and location of hospitals, academic institutions, water reservoirs, communication centers, airports, etc. would be required for that purpose.
Possible Community Hazards
The hazard mitigation plan should analyze all the effects on finances and lives of people caused by the disaster. Each disaster has different consequences on the people of community and can affect them in various areas. The disasters such as earthquake, flood may results in the death and injuries of many people with the loss of their properties. The disaster can also damage or destroy the cultural heritage of the community. The disasters may also cause the spread of diseases in the community.
Hazard Vulnerability Analysis
Hazard vulnerability analysis is a set of multiple risk assessment techniques; it focuses on various factors during the hazard mitigation process including the history, probability, frequency, impact, etc. of the previous disasters. Hazard vulnerability analysis can also suggest the appropriate steps to reduce the risks of disasters.
Source: (Federal Emergency Management Agency – FEMA, 2016)
Community Assessment Capability
The Fiscal capability is a vital factor in the effective implementation and development of the hazard mitigation. The local governments can utilize the funds acquired from the Federal and State authorities to work on hazard mitigation. They can also avail the financial help provided by Non-Government Organizations and with the funds generated by the collection of local taxes. The local organizations such as hospitals, worship places, community centers, and educational institutes can also help the local government by providing the funds and donations .
The awareness of people and government about the political and social issues plays an important role in the implementation of hazard mitigation. The people should realize the benefits and importance of the hazard mitigation as it a key factor for the protection of their lives from any disaster. They should show and provide their support and commitment to the government for its hazard mitigation policies. The government should take an initiative by involving the people in the development of policies and to provide training that will help them to deal with any disaster.
The legal authority of government helps it to implement the policies, rules, and regulations of hazard mitigation. The power of government can categorize into four types that are acquisition, spending, regulation, and taxation. The acquisition of land or property by the government minimizes the risks and threats related to the improper development by the people. The government may use its authority to spend its financial resources in the general favor of public with the help of Capital Improvement Plans (CIP) or bonds. The government should define some rules and regulations for the safety of people; these rules generally include the implementation of building codes, building inspection and the government’s control over the use of land. The government should impose the appropriate taxes on people to generate and increase their revenue that helps the government to utilize this fund on the hazard mitigation.
The departments such as police, administration, inspection, public works and utilities, fire agencies and other rescue services provide great help and support in the hazard mitigation. The mentioned departments are responsible for reducing the safety risks related to the disaster. They are also responsible for protecting people during the disaster by providing the rapid and efficient rescue services.
The government should deploy the policies, ordinances and programs related to the development and utilization of the land. The plans and policies should cover the hazard mitigation issues that may be related to the growth management, consolidated open space preservation, soil erosion control, use of land, watershed management, flood hazard control, emergency operations, building code enforcement etc. The policies should be feasible for both of the rural or urban areas.
The government should have the technical capabilities to take necessary actions for the safety of people from any hazard. The technical staff should have all the required skills and equipment that they will use during or after the disaster. The fire tenders, ambulances and other rescue vehicles should be maintained on regular basis. The government should focus on its IT infrastructure by regular updating of its databases and computer networks. The government should have an updated Geographical Information System or GIS that is useful for the gathering, mapping and managing of geographical data .
The government should use the print, electronic and social media during its hazard mitigation plans. The articles and notifications should be published on regular basis to create awareness and to warn the people about any upcoming disaster. The government should have an active website where people can gather the latest information and communicate with the government in case of any emergency. The government should create and maintain accounts on the social media to provide regular updates to the people. The public seminars, conferences and other information sessions will be also helpful in the creation of awareness.
The government should have all the vital physical resources such as emergency centers, rescue camps, first aid centers etc. to begin the recovery process on an immediate basis after the disaster. The centers should be equipped with all life-saving drugs and equipment. The staff of these centers should have an ability to manage a huge number of people during the disaster.
Recommended mitigation measures
The government, its departments and the concerned staff are responsible for the safety of people from the adverse effects of the disaster. They should be well prepared to deal with the disasters and take the necessary mitigation measures to reduce the chances of damage. The policies and action plans should be developed according to the needs of each disaster.
The damage of flood can be reduced by relocating of structure or people from the danger zones (Wincosin Emergency Management, 2016). The drainage systems should be well developed and maintained. The dams should be monitored and repaired on a regular basis to protect any breakage and spilling of water.
During the earthquake, the primary cause of loss of lives and property is the collapse of buildings and structures. The government should restrict the construction in the fault zones; the buildings with the old and weak structure should be evacuated. The new construction should be allowed after the soil testing and analysis of construction plan.
The effects of a wildfire can reduce by taking appropriate steps by the government and people. The government should recommend people to use fire resistant materials in the construction of their homes. The construction of wooden structures should be prohibited in the fire prone areas. The government should provide practical education and training to the people that help them to deal with any incident of fire.
Conclusion
The world is becoming more prone to natural hazards because of global warming and other climate changes. The disasters can make adverse effects by the huge loss of lives and finances. The government is liable for the safety of people and should maintain and utilize its resources for the prevention and recovery from the disaster. The government should also involve all the stakeholders and concerned authorities in the awareness and implementation of hazard mitigation policies.
The people can also help themselves by participating in the safety trainings organized by the government or private organizations. They should also act on the hazard mitigation instructions, plans and policies of the government without any objection. They should stock all the necessary items such as first aid kits, fire extinguishers, sufficient amount of food and water to deal with any emergency situation.
Additional Information
The risk identification matrix of some hazards along with their causes and effects is given below for the further clarification.
References
Federal Emergency Management Agency - FEMA. (2016). Toolkit. Retrieved from https://emilms.fema.gov/IS559/lesson6/Toolkit.pdf
National Centers for Environmental Information. (2016). Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters: Overview | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Retrieved 2016, from NOAA Website: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/
Town of Cary. (2010, September 30). Microsoft Word - i Appendix C Community Capability Asessment - final.doc. Retrieved from https://www.townofcary.org/Assets/Planning+Department/Hazard+Mitigation+Plan/community.pdf
Wake County Government. (2009). 4: Community Capability Assessment. Retrieved from http://www.wakegov.com/em/documents/wake%20co.%20appendix%20c%207-27-08.pdf
Wincosin Emergency Management. (2016). mitgation_ideas.pdf. Retrieved from http://emergencymanagement.wi.gov/mitigation/docs/mitigation_ideas.pdf
