Mitigation

Introduction to International Disaster Management

Mitigation Overview / Analysis

Dimming the Sun Could Be Climate Science’s Trolley Problem (The Atlantic, April 20, 2022): This article highlights how there are often hidden costs associated with some mitigation measures that need to be considered in light of any risk reduction gains to be achieved
US Fire Administration “Community Risk Reduction” Information Page: ” Fire departments are uniquely positioned to know their communities better than most other organizations. Firefighters and emergency medical services responders see firsthand, whether through medical calls, inspections or simply driving through the community, how people live and the needs they have.” This page explains the “Five E’s of Risk Reduction”.

Nonstructural Mitigation

Easier said than done: Tips for community relocation amid a changing climate (Route Fifty, January 19, 2024)
In Weston, locals decide between preserving downtown and preventing future flood damage (Vermont Public, November 15, 2023)
Heavy rain is still hitting California. A few reservoirs figured out how to capture more for drought (NPR, January 11, 2023)
California’s dilemma: How do you harness an epic amount of rain in a water-scarce state? Let it flood, scientists say (CNN, January 10, 2023): This article highlights the role of levees in exacerbating drought. Quoted scientists explain that reducing levee height will allow surrounding land to flood, thereby replenishing depleted groundwater resources.
1 million square feet of L.A. roads are being covered with solar-reflective paint (Fast Company, August 17, 2022): “The initiative covers roads, playgrounds, and parking lots, and it has already cooled the surface by 10 to 12 degrees.”
Property owners and officials find ways around century-old laws as the West runs out of water (CNN, July : “For years, debate has raged in California about the best way to fix the water rights system for life in the modern era. Many of the senior water rights held in the state were set before 1914 when the permit system was established and when mining was big business.”
California’s new drought rules: will they be enough to halt the ‘alarming challenges’ ahead? (The Guardian, May 3, 2022)
Queensland floods raise questions about the ‘ethical obligation of planners’, industry figures say (The Guardian, March 19, 2022): “In the wake of the floods, some planners are advocating for a shakeup of the planning system.”
New Park in Atlanta’s Vine City Provides Green Space and Flood Control (Atlanta Regional, November 16, 2021): “The new Rodney Cook Sr. Park in Atlanta’s Vine City neighborhood is much more than a beautiful place to play and relax.It also doubles as a watershed management project, offering a solution to one of the area’s most pressing needs: flood control. The centerpiece pond and its surrounding greenspace can store up to 10 million gallons of stormwater runoff. That’s critical for an area that has seen its share of devastating floods.”
NJ plans to expand buyouts of flood-prone properties (NJ Spotlight News, October 19, 2021)
Climate Change Is Already Rejiggering Where Americans Live (Route Fifty, September 3, 2021): “Some Hurricane Ida survivors may have no choice but to leave. Sooner or later, people across the country will be in the same bind.”
More ‘good fire’ could help California control future catastrophes (National Geographic, July 27, 2021)
Gov’t disregard of Indigenous prescribed, cultural burns ‘created this catastrophe’: advocates (CTV News, July 27, 2021): ” Potential fuel sources of wildfires could have been burned away if both federal and provincial governments had greatly expanded the millennia-old practice of purposefully burning away entire patches of trees and dry vegetation, fire researchers and First Nations leaders told CTVNews.ca.”
Mangrove forest study has takeaways for coastal communities (Science Daily, June 28, 2021): ” The study focused on the effects of Hurricane Irma, which struck Florida in 2017, and the damage it caused to the state’s mangrove forests. The research team found that the forests suffered unparalleled dieback after the major hurricane. “
In spite of wildfire risk, there’s no statewide guide book for building property in Colorado (9 News, May 17, 2021): This article highlights the challenge that exists in terms of establishing building codes that reduce hazard risk, and the value individuals place on being able to do as they please on their own property.
Plan to Reduce Massive Wildfires in US West (Associated Press, November 27, 2020): U.S. officials on Friday released an overarching plan for removing or changing vegetation over a huge swath of the U.S. West to stop devastating wildfires on land used for cattle ranching, recreation and habitat for imperiled sage grouse.

1694130020088 Download

Pew Trusts: Buyouts Can Be an Effective Solution for Flood-Prone Communities Download

REPORT: Urban Land Institute, “On Safer Ground”: Floodplain Buyouts and Community Resilience Download

GUIDE: Building Community Resilience with Nature-Based Solutions – A Guide for Local Communities (FEMA, 2021)Download

Structural Mitigation

Unreinforced Masonry (URM) Retrofit Program Development – FAQs (City of Seattle, Undated Fact Sheet)
These Incredible Hurricane-Proof Homes can Withstand Winds of up to 190 Miles Per Hour (TCD, January 9, 2024)
Still standing: Unique houses survive quake in Japanese village (Japan Times, January 8, 2024)
Can Seawalls Save Us? (The New Yorker, November 5, 2023): “Huge coastal barriers could protect the world’s cities. But they’ll have unexpected costs.”
Guatemala’s first 3D-printed tiny home is 527 square feet and was designed to resist earthquakes — take a look inside (Insider, November 2, 2023)
Automatic gas shutoffs could cut SF post-quake fires in half, expert says (NBC, October 26, 2023)
In Pakistan, flood-proof houses give hope against climate change (AA, September 14, 2023)
How ‘Miracle’ Homes Survived the Maui Fires (The Messenger, September 7, 2023)
Building Codes Save Money and Lives (Scientific American, August 24, 2023)
Coralville seeking grants to relocate power lines underground (The Gazette, January 16, 2023)
3 ways to advance climate-resilient housing solutions in vulnerable communities (World Economic Forum, January 12, 2023)
Mystery of why Roman buildings have survived so long has been unraveled, scientists say (CNN, January 9, 2023)
Indonesia needs earthquake-proof houses. Building them is a huge challenge (CNN, November 25, 2022)
Building for a flooded future: Architects are designing for the new climate reality (CNN, November 12, 2022)
Burying short sections of power lines could drastically reduce hurricanes’ impact on coastal residents (National Science Foundation, September 13, 2022)
The cheaper we build our buildings, the more they cost after an earthquake, wildfire or tornado (The Conversation, June 16, 2022): “Building-code writers, engineers and others frequently tout the benefits of modern building codes. But new buildings only keep us relatively safe; they’re not disaster proof. Why don’t we build better buildings? Because it would cost a little more.”
For States and Localities, a Sudden Rush of Federal Water and Sewer Funding (Route Fifty, July 12, 2021): This article explains how recognition of the role that stormwater and drinking water infrastructure plain in national resilience is leading to an increased focus from lawmakers.
How to Keep Cool Without Turning on the A/C (Northeaster University, June 7, 2021)
One Answer to Climate Change Is Right Under Your Feet (The Daily Beast, June 18, 2021): Reflective pavement really does cool cities – but location is key (it can raise the temperature in surrounding buildings).
Designed for disaster: These homes can withstand a Category 5 hurricane (Washington Post, May 16, 2021): ” Dick Love, who lives in Florida, owns a Deltec home on Scotland Cay, just north of Marsh Harbour in the Bahamas, that survived Dorian. Of the 62 homes that once stood there, only three escaped with minimal damage — Love’s, and two others built by the same contractor. “
Rebuilding After a Wildfire? Most States Don’t Require Fire-Resistance Materials (NPR, November 25, 2020): While California has mandated wildfire building codes for more than a decade in high risk areas, other states have struggled to approve comprehensive rebuilding codes. In Oregon and Colorado, efforts faced stiff and ultimately successful opposition from home builders associations.
Video: How Japan Built Disaster-Proof Skyscrapers (Bloomberg City Lab, 1/13/2021): With natural disasters becoming more and more frequent, Japanese engineers and architects have pushed the boundaries of technology and design to create resilient, disaster-proof buildings.

NIST Wildfire Mitigation Report Download

Building Codes and Land Use Planning

‘I panic when I hear rain’: New York’s deadly basement apartments face growing flooding risk (The Guardian, August 30, 2024)
By Burning Down Buildings, Insurers Want to Change How They’re Built (New York Times, July 15, 2024)
The city that didn’t collapse: How Erzin became a haven from Turkey’s earthquake (NBC News, February 15, 2023)
Better Building Codes Could Mitigate Climate Disasters (WhoWhatWhy, July 5, 2021): ” Updating building codes to mitigate disaster is one step toward weathering the impacts of climate change — a step that is sometimes overlooked in the effort to reduce those impacts by lowering carbon emissions.”
As Disasters Worsen, California Looks at Curbing Construction in Risky Areas (New York Times, June 4, 2021): “At the start of wildfire season, California’s insurance regulator has backed sweeping changes to discourage home building in fire-prone areas, including looking at cutting off new construction in those regions from what is often their only source of insurance — the state’s high-risk pool.”