Task 9 Create a Safe and Resilient Community

Overview

The Introduction to this website summarizes the benefits of hazard mitigation—sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to human life and property from hazards. These benefits contribute to a community’s disaster resilience and include protecting public safety, preventing damage to infrastructure and homes, encouraging safer and more sustainable development, and reducing the costs of disaster response and recovery.
Disaster Resilience Resilience is the ability to adapt to changing conditions and prepare for, withstand, and rapidly recover from disruption. U.S. Department of Homeland Security Risk Lexicon, 2008.
Through the mitigation planning process, your community has identified and prioritized mitigation policies and actions to reduce risk and future losses. The implementation of proactive mitigation policies and actions, as well as an inclusive, informed planning process, helps create a safer, more resilient community. However, turning your mitigation plan into action can be difficult. Task 9 identifies some common challenges communities face in implementing their mitigation strategy. It also provides suggestions for how to overcome mitigation barriers and describes some funding and resources available to help.