The first guiding principle that helps develop and support the delivery of Mitigation core capabilities is resilience and sustainability.

Resilience is the ability to prepare for and adapt to changing conditions and withstand and recover rapidly from disruptions.

The National Mitigation Framework addresses two dimensions of resilience:

1. Resilience involves all aspects of the community including social, health, economic, natural and cultural, technical, and organizational dimensions within a community.
2. Resilience is the ability to withstand and rebound from the impacts of disasters and incident.

Sustainability employs a longer-term approach through plans, policies, and actions that reflect a comprehensive understanding of the economic, social, and environmental systems within a community.