The National Emergency Management Association (NEMA), in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the assistance of numerous other organizations, has released a white paper, ‘Recommendations for an Effective National Mitigation Effort,’ outlining the importance of mitigation efforts aimed at building disaster resiliency across the US.

“Mitigation is the least visible, but perhaps the most important concept that can be used to protect communities from disasters. Mitigation cannot completely eliminate the risk of disasters, but the process of identifying hazards should lead to effective, community-supported measures that can save lives, lower the overall cost of a disaster, and makes communities more resilient,” said James Mullen, Director of the Washington State Emergency Management Division and the NEMA Mitigation Committee chair. “That so many professional associations worked to develop this paper is a testament to their conviction that all-hazards mitigation is essential to effective national preparedness.”

The paper originated from a meeting held in January that brought together partner organizations from many different sectors concerned with the issues surrounding mitigation benefits and challenges.

Read the paper.

•Date: 14th July 2009• Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: Emergency planning
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