Natural Hazard Mitigation

One of the four core phases of emergency management, hazard mitigation is essential for reducing disaster effects on human populations and making communities more resilient to the impacts of hazards. Presenting an up-to-date look at the changing nature of disasters, Natural Hazard Mitigation offers practical guidance on the implementation and selection of hazard mitigation programs and projects.

Based on real-world applications, the book includes case studies that present a thorough explanation of the various issues involved. The contributors describe the value and potential of mitigation efforts and explain how to convince public officials and communities of that value. They also discuss how to better involve the community and uniquely tailor solutions to regional and local situations.

The book begins with an overview of the history of hazard mitigation with a focus on the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000. It examines where hazard mitigation fits into emergency management and addresses some of the challenges that can arise in navigating the various intergovernmental relationships involved in hazard mitigation. The remaining chapters explore:

• Public-private partnerships for hazard mitigation at the local level
• The role currently played by the private sector and how communities can best make use of contractors
• How to maximize the use of the National Flood Insurance Program and the Community Ratings System
• Risk communications as a key component of encouraging hazard mitigation
• Legal issues relevant to hazard mitigation
• Ways to actively engage the community and how to advocate for hazard mitigation policy
• How state and local governments can promote and fund mitigation without utilizing federal dollars
• The challenges associated with volunteers and how to best make use of this resource
• The area analysis as an innovative means of addressing flood risk at the block or neighborhood level

The book includes learning objectives, key terms, and end-of-chapter questions to enhance comprehension. It concludes with a discussion of tools that local practitioners can use and provides an appendix with additional links and resources. This volume is an essential reference for both students and professionals in the ongoing effort to better prepare communities against the effects of natural hazards.

Alessandra Jerolleman, MPA, CFM, is a program specialist in the Gulf Coast with Save the Children USA and is also the executive director of the recently formed Natural Hazard Mitigation Association. She sits on the board of the Greater New Orleans Disaster Recovery Partnership and is the secretary for the Executive Committee of the American Society of Public Administration’s Section on Emergency and Crisis Management. Jerolleman has acquired wide-ranging experience in the private, nonprofit, and academic sectors and conducted applied research related to mitigation, community outreach, and disaster planning.

John J. Kiefer, Ph.D., is an associate professor and director of the Master of Public Administration program in the Department of Political Science at the University of New Orleans (UNO). He is also a faculty associate at the Center for Hazards Assessment, Response and Technology, UNO’s applied hazards social science research center. In his applied research, Dr. Kiefer specializes in the development of outcome-focused collaborative networks to create disaster resilience, especially focused on vulnerable populations. He has been principal evaluator for a broad range of programs funded by the U.S. Department of Education, State of Louisiana, and several cities. His current research interests include hazard policy, emergency management, and program evaluation.