Sustainable hazard mitigation

Sustainable hazard mitigation

Introduction

In United States, there are number of manmade and natural disasters that occur each year. It is notable that these disasters cost huge amount in term of monetary values and human lives. These disasters results from wildfires, floods, tornados, earthquakes, landslides, winter storms, and other natural events along with various manmade disasters that are made intentionally or unintentionally. Therefore, due to these conditions, there is increased demand for attention of government towards this scenario at all level (Mileti & Gailus, 2005). Which includes private sector, and at individual level to take counter measures in reducing the risk.

Risk is referred to the approximated effect of disaster event that people, facilities, services and structure would bear in a community and it potential of occurrence in these conditions. The aim of the paper is to analyze the sustainable hazard and tools and principle for reducing these scenarios.

Discussion

It is found that in past several decades there are number of natural disasters that people of United States faces. It is due to the development of land which spread out in suburban areas and communities despite analyzing the disaster they face in term of flooding, high winds, wildfire and other natural hazards that are present there. However, it is observed that there is increasing number of people that are moving to that regions or place that are faced by such hazard conditions. It is analyzed by the World Commission on Environment and Development that sustainability is important in current period to avoid increased intensity of hazards in future (Mileti & Gailus, 2005).

It is to mention here that decision are made by assuming current conditions of sustainable communities and it provides plenty of options for future generation. Therefore current generation transfers high quality of life with economic, natural and social environment. It is observed that in some communities of United States which are destroyed by such disasters proved by their development that most of the sustainable communities are not much sustainable.

Necessary property of sustainable communities is their resistance to the hazard they face. Therefore a community which is having potential to resist the disaster is among one which take steps in reduction of vulnerability of their community to hazards. The outcomes when disaster strikes with such communities are: more number of saved lives; decreased damage to the property of the community; this also results in decreased economic loss to the community; it also increases the capability of government agencies in taking out safety operations there; the recovery period in such communities is relatively shorter; and this also enhance the ability to attract business in these communities due to their abilities in better treatment of risk (Paton, 2008).

It is observed that such communities adopt one or more tool to reduce the disaster and these are: risk reduction for future development with better location planning, implementation and improved codes and their forced implementation; and undertaking measures to safeguard current development.

It is to mention here that such approaches and strategies for ...