Unleashing the power of planning to create disaster-resistant communities

Human suffering and losses of lives and property in natural disasters can b e reduced with appropriate planning for hazardous areas. Federal policies a ddressing these problems, however, have yet to recognize the importance of planning as the cornerstone of effective local hazard mitigation. In fact, federal programs make planning more difficult because they encourage the in tensive use of hazardous land and shield local governments and private deci sion makers from financial losses in the disasters that inevitably follow. To unleash the power of planning for hazard mitigation, federal policies mu st be revised so that they help build local understanding ng of risk, commi tment to hazard mitigation, and support for planning. A number of actions c an be taken now to begin moving in this direction. In the long term, howeve r, new legislation is needed to reduce subsidies that sustain and encourage development in hazardous areas and to increase assistance for planning.