Mitigation strategies are central to disaster management. In this brief, Michelle Bandel starts the precis by drawing upon the literature to define the structural and non-structural mitigation strategies that can be harnessed during crises. Structural measures are the physical constructions that are built to reduce the impacts of hazards while non-structural measures make use of knowledge and/or practice to reduce them. Bandel uses the Great East Japan Earthquake as a case study to describe some of the structural measures that can be utilized such as policies to promote the resilience of critical structures such as flood levies, reinforced water supply, and earthquake-resistant construction. Some non-structural measures include building codes, land-use planning laws, and public awareness programs. Overall, these measures can be effective pre and post disasters to reduce the damage to lives and livelihoods.
Read Michelle Bandel’s brief on mitigation strategies here