Mitigation Framework Leadership Group Pushes Forward on Investing in Resilience.  

The Diva found it interesting to learn why this effort was mounted:

The Investment Strategy comes three years after a Government Accountability Office (GAO) Report in which GAO found that mitigation investments in the post-Hurricane Sandy response were not coordinated within the Federal Government nor the whole community (which includes the Federal Government, nonfederal partners, and individuals). But even prior to Hurricane Sandy, the report finds that, “since 1980, 246 weather-related disasters in the United States caused at least $1 billion in damage each. Damage from these ‘billion-dollar disasters’ together totaled over $1.6 trillion.” As such, the National Mitigation Investment Strategy can save both lives and money through direct investments and property buy-outs in high-risk areas, investing in safety and security measures, and investing in the collection and sharing of data. The report admits that the Investment Strategy has “ambitious but achievable goals”, citing that success requires “maximum participation from the whole community”. Yet, as risks and damage from natural hazards both continue the increase, the Investment Strategy and the efforts of the Mitigation Framework Leadership Group will lead to greater resilience for the livelihood of citizens, the economy, and the environment.