Chapter 4 - Mitigation

Abstract

Mitigation is undertaken to reduce a hazard risk, performed by lessening risk likelihood, consequence, or both. Mitigation seeks to make a hazard less likely to occur or to reduce its negative effects. For each hazard a unique set of associated mitigation options have been developed, each with an associated cost, feasibility, and success rate. In addition to likelihood and consequence reduction, mitigation may seek to achieve risk avoidance or risk transfer, spreading, and sharing. Risk acceptance occurs when no mitigation option is chosen. Structural mitigation is performed by constructing or altering the physical environment and may include resistant construction; building codes and regulatory measures; relocation; structural modification; construction of community shelters; barrier, deflection, or retention systems; detection systems; physical modification; treatment systems; or redundancy in life safety infrastructure. Nonstructural mitigation involves modifying human behavior or natural processes without requiring the use of engineered structures, and includes regulatory measures, community awareness and education, warning systems, nonstructural physical modifications, environmental control, and behavioral modification.