VI. Summary Recommendations and Actions

The following is a distillation and summary of the recommendations made by the workshop groups that explored the five themes discussed in the previous chapter. Essentially, they call for citizens to re-think the way we live and how we shape our human settlements; to consider how our settlements are threatened by natural hazards and how they contribute to disasters. At the same time, we must recognize that while all levels of government have important roles to play, the roots of effective mitigation must occur at the local level. On the other hand, disaster mitigation is a global priority. The U. S., together with other disaster-prone nations of the world, should share the benefits of extensive disaster experience and broad interdisciplinary disaster mitigation research. Collaboration of international mitigation efforts at all levels should form a major component of U. S. development and humanitarian efforts.

It is important to once again emphasize the connection between natural disasters and global change. A society resilient to natural hazards is likely to be more resilient to longer time scale hazards such as those which fall under the heading of global change. Increasingly, the global change and natural hazards communities can benefit from each others' thinking and technologies in building a more sustainable society.

The recommendations that emerge from the AGCI workshop are addressed to specific individuals or groups of individuals. Most often they are targeted to large governmental organizations. That is often because larger organizations are easier to target. However (and this is stated repeatedly in this document), disaster management begins with the individual citizen. These citizens, acting individually, are responsible for developing and implementing disaster mitigation at home and in the workplace. More importantly, acting in concert, they are responsible for demanding of their political leaders the same protection from disasters which governments at various levels afford from war, hunger and disease.

Responsibility for disaster management cannot be polarized between government and citizens, however. Many other types of organizations are, or must increasingly be, involved. We find that, in order to protect their economic interests and employees, corporations and unions must be aware of, and mitigate, their exposure to natural hazards. Specific industries such as insurance, construction, transportation, health, and utilities, have a direct stake in disasters and their effects. Their voices supporting disaster mitigation are becoming stronger and more persistent.

"Many natural disasters are not really natural, but rather human-made disasters, less the result of an extreme natural event than of the inappropriate settlement patterns and poorly planned communities humans have built where these natural forces converge."

Citizens groups, environmental organizations and disaster volunteer organizations are also among the growing list of supporters of disaster reduction for, as stated before, "We simply cannot afford the costs of unmitigated disasters and still achieve our national goals of debt reduction, adequate health care, full employment and economic growth." At the same time, we must realize that the distribution of risk and access to mitigation and recovery resources are elements of equality of opportunity. Public policies must address the social equity component of natural disaster reduction.

Individual citizens are responsible for developing and implementing disaster mitigation at home and in the workplace. Acting in concert, they are responsible for demanding of their political leaders the same protection from disasters which governments afford from war, hunger and disease.

Citizens

1. In areas of high risk, form, or strengthen existing regional organizations to disseminate a full range of hazard information (FEMA).

2. Integrate citizens into decision-making processes at all levels (NASA, NOAA, USGS).

3. Partner with community, regional and state groups to create a new generation of champions for mitigation (USGS and others).

4. Develop a coordinated program of public interest groups to further citizen involvement in natural disaster reduction (ICMA).

5. Develop understanding of citizens in pre- and post-disaster activities to maximize citizen involvement in natural disaster activities (NSF).

Technology

1. More effectively bring technological advances to bear on the natural disaster reduction task. Evaluate technologies for documenting and interpreting trends and problems related to natural hazards (SNDR, SGCR). This could be achieved by: developing or improving complex systems models of physical and social systems so as to more rigorously identify vulnerability and thresholds that would guide the application of natural hazard related resources; developing data sets specifically directed toward natural hazard problems; and developing real-time capabilities that would feed high-technology data into the decision making process.

2. Carry out specific pilot or prototype projects for floods, earthquakes, tornadoes and drought mitigation, preparedness, relief and recovery (NASA, NOAA, NSF, and others).

3. Inventory technologies relevant to natural hazards reduction and their utilization by communities and the general citizenry (NASA, SNDR and SGCR).

Private Sector

1. Form a Presidential Commission to develop a national policy to identify, define, and partition responsibility for natural hazard risk (Office of the President).

2. Promote exchange of information from all available public and private sources regarding relevant hazards and provide for increased disclosure of risks during real estate transactions (state and local governments).

3. Include development of education and information programs for decision makers in disaster preparedness, response and recovery activities (National Mitigation Council).

4. Establish local/regional coalitions to advance the National Mitigation Strategy (lifeline industries associations such as EPRI).

5. Identify best practices and recommend them to the National Mitigation Council for recognition and educational dissemination (regional organizations).

Our recommendations call for citizens to re-think the way we live and how we shape our human settlements; to consider how our settlements are threatened by natural hazards and how they contribute to disasters.

Politics

1. The President should establish a national Council on Natural Disaster Reduction (PCNDR) (Office of the President).

2 Governors should establish state-level Councils on Disaster Reduction (state governments).

3. Develop/carry out a national program of demonstration projects; evaluate NDR efforts and accelerate adoption of research progress (CENR/SNDR).

4. Convene civil and defense sectors of government to define and clarify respective roles in NDR (CENR/SNDR).

5. Develop and articulate international NDR policies (CENR /SNDR, CISET).

6. Encourage other nations to collaborate in observational and information management strategies for global change and NDR (State Dept.).

Nexus of all System Elements

1. Identify and assemble tools and information to improve decision making for mitigation (FEMA and FEMA Regions).

2. Establish long-term relationships between research/technology providers and decision makers at all levels.

3. Develop disaster-systems professionals who can manage systems integration work (NSF, FEMA).

4. Assess ability and capacity of actors to use existing knowledge and technologies (FEMA, NSF, USGCRP, USGS).

5. Incorporate information from global change research on changing patterns of hazard and risk (USGCRP Office).

6. Disseminate materials, methodologies, and programs internationally (OFDA, AID, World Bank, CISET).

A society resilient to natural hazards is likely to be more resilient to global change. Increasingly, the global change and natural hazards communities can benefit from each others' thinking and technologies in building a more sustainable society.

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