Disaster mitigation
Topic: Natural Hazards and Disaster Management in India · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 6 "Natural Hazards and Disasters: Causes, Consequences and Management"
Meaning
Disaster mitigation means steps taken before a disaster to reduce the harm it causes. Examples are hazard maps, building codes for safe construction, land-use controls (rules on where people may build), embankments (raised banks along rivers or coasts) and early warning. We cannot stop earthquakes, cyclones or floods, so lessening their impact is the best choice we have. Spending on mitigation saves more lives and money than spending only on relief afterwards. That is why India has moved from relief towards reducing risk.
Example
Under the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (Phase I from 2011, in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha), NDMA built multipurpose cyclone shelters, evacuation roads and saline embankments, with World Bank support.
Don't confuse with
- Relief and rehabilitation: these happen during and after a disaster. Mitigation happens before it.
- Preparedness: preparedness gets people ready to respond, for example with drills and stocked supplies. Mitigation reduces the damage itself, for example with strong buildings.
Related concepts
- Disaster management cycle
- Disaster Management Act 2005
- National Disaster Management Authority
- National Disaster Response Force
- National Institute of Disaster Management
- National and State Disaster Response Funds
- Notified disasters
- Common Alerting Protocol