Hazard Mitigation Planning for Utilities: Forming Partnerships for Leveraging Resources and Funding Opportunities

摘要

Hazard mitigation is any sustained action taken to reduce loss of life and property by lesseningrnthe impacts of disasters. Recent disaster events have shown that is essential for both waterrnutilities to employ hazard mitigation planning to protect functionality, so that they are betterrnequipped to serve the needs of the service population, as well as minimize the cost of recovery.rnApplicants must have a FEMA approved hazard mitigation plan in order to be eligible to receivernfederal project grants. A plan for water and wastewater utilities may take the form of anrnindividual mitigation plan, which may be annexed to the local or state plan, or the utility mayrnparticipate in the development or update of a local mitigation plan within an applicablernjurisdiction. The mitigation planning process for water utilities consists of analyzing a system’srnrisk from natural hazards and its capability to handle them, identifying methods to addressrnweaknesses, coordinating available resources, and implementing actions to reduce identifiedrnrisks. Water utilities should form collaborative partnerships with local stakeholders to reducernduplication of planning efforts, promote integration of mitigation goal and objectives, andrnprovide the potential to leverage resources.