Natural hazards and policy - Mitigation emerges as major strategy for reducing losses caused by natural disasters

The international Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, a United Nations p rogram for the 1990s, focused attention on the increasing losses caused by natural hazards and promoted actions to reduce their impacts. During this p eriod in the United States, disaster managers and other officials increased emphasis on mitigation relative to response and recovery, especially in pr ograms of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Many other nations and i nternational organizations undertook similar efforts. Beyond the Decade, ef forts should focus on improving risk assessments; implementing mitigation s trategies; improving technologies supporting warnings and the dissemination of, and response to, warnings; improving the basis for natural disaster in surance: and assisting developing nations.