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<br /> <br />'Ic) redress those shortcomings, the nation must shift to <l policy of "sustainable hazard mitigalion." This <br />concept links wise Illanagelllent of natural resources with 10cClI economic and social resiliency, viewing haz- <br />ard mitigation '-15 an integral part of a much larger context. I\bny aspects of this stralegy \vere implicit in the <br />recomfllcJl(]ations formulated by \Vhite ,,1f1d I-Iaas a quarter-century ago. <br />!illt to head off the continued rise in tolls from disasters. those principles IllUst he come more explicit. <br />This summary, ,-lIld the report on which il is based, rencct tlw efforts of over a hundred experts \vho <br />have worked cUld debated since ]lJ94 to take slock of Americans' relationship to haLarcls past. present, and- <br />most importantly-future. Those contribuLions h,-l\'{, becn used to outline H comprehensivE' approach to <br />cnhancing society's ahility to reduce tlw costs of disaster. <br /> <br />THE ROOTS Of THE PROBLEM <br /> <br />1\ lany disaster losses-rather than stemming from unexpccled events-are the predictable result of interac- <br />tions among three lIl'-ljor systems: the physical environment, which includes hazardous eVl'nts; the social and <br />demographic chilracteristics of the comlIlllllilies that experience them: ami the buildings. roads. bridges, amI <br />olher components of the constructed environment. Crowing losses result partly from the fact that the nalion's <br />capital stock is expanding, but the)' also stem From the fact that all these systems-ami their intcractinns-,are <br /> <br />becoming mure complex \vith each passing ycar. <br />Three main inllucnces arc at work. First, Ihe earth's physical <br />systems are constanLly changing - witness the currenl warming of <br />the global climate, Scientists expect a warming climate to produce <br />more dwmatic Illct(.ornlogical events such as slorms, floods, <br />drought. and extreme temperatures. Second, recent and projected <br />changes in the demographic composition and distribution or the <br />U,S. population mean grt'<lter exposure to many haLm-ds. The num- <br />her of people residing in earthquake-prone regions and coastal <br />counties subject to hurricanes. for example, is growing rapidly. <br />\Vnrsening inequality of wealth also makes many people more vul- <br />nerable to hazards and less able to reco\'er from thcm. Third, the <br />built environment-public utilities, transportation sysLems, com- <br />munications, ami hOlnes and office buildings-is grm....,ing in densi- <br />ty, making the potential losses from natural forces larger. <br />Settlement of ha/,ardous areas hrts also destroyed local ecosys- <br />tems that could have provided protf'ction from natural perils. The <br /> <br />3 <br />