Definition of Mission Area:
Mitigation includes those capabilities necessary to reduce loss of life and property by lessening the impact of disasters. Due to the impacts of disasters and catastrophic incidents on the Nation, Mitigation is the most critical element to reduce or eliminate the long-term risks to life, property, and well-being.
Planning Core Capability Target:
- Develop approved hazard mitigation plans that address all relevant threats/hazards in accordance with the results of risk assessments conducted within all states and territories.
Planning Considerations:
- Assessment of risk and resilience must begin at the local level and serve to inform state, regional, and national planning.
- Determine structural (i.e. building of levees) or non-structural (i.e. building codes) initiatives that reduce likelihood of identified incidents occurring or reduce vulnerability to those incidents and/or reduce the consequences of the incident.
- Determine those projects with the highest return on investment in mitigating potential loss.
- Remember to plan for:
- Persons with access and functional needs
- Animals and pets
- Private-sector and community involvement
- Hard-to-reach or otherwise isolated areas and territories
Other Core Capabilities:
In addition to planning, the other core capabilities of the mitigation mission area are:
- Public Information and Warning
- Operational Coordination
- Community Resilience
- Long-Term Vulnerability Reduction
- Risk and Disaster Resilience Assessment
- Threats and Hazard Identification
For additional information on each of these core capabilities, review the National Preparedness Goal available on the resources page.