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. Ensure i1zter- and inlra-gelleraliOlwl eqlfitr i\ sustainLlhle community selects mitigation activities that f(:dU<.T h~wlf<.1S across all ethnic, racial, and income groups. anu bL'1ween gendefs e<.jually, now and in the future. The costs of today's advances are not shifteJ onto latef gcnerCltions or less pnwt"rful groups. . Adopt local consensus bllilding. A sustainable community selects n1itigation strategies that evoke from full participation alIlong all public and private stakeholders. The participatory process itself may be clS important as the outcome. 1\ long-term. comprehensive plan fOf aveftillg disaster losses and encouraging sustainability offers a locality the oppoftunity to coordinate its goals and policies. A community cun besl forge sLleh a plan by tap- ping businesses and residents as well as experts and governmenl olTlciuls. And while actual planning and follow-through must occur at the local level. a gfeat deal or impetus must come from ahove, Nothing short of strong leadership from stute amI federal governments will t'nsure that planning for sustainable hazaru mitigation and developmcnt OlTurs. MITIGATION TOOLS Over the past few decades an array of ll'chniqucs and practices has evolved to reduce and cope with losses from haL.urds and disastefs. These and othf'f tools wTII he vital in pursuing sustainable hUJ;ard mitigation, LA:"lD USE \Vise bml-use planning th<lt limits expansion into sensitive areas is essential to slIstailwblc halanl mitigation. Indeed. land~lIse planning. hazard mitigation, ~lIld slIslctinablc communities are concepts with a shared vision in which people and properly an: kept out of the \vay of hal<HJs. the mitigative quali- ties of the natural environment arc rnaint<lillcd, and development is resilient in the face of natural forces. Unfortunately, no overarching guidance informs development in hazard-prone areas. Instead, a palch- work or innum('ralll{~ federal. state, and local regulations creates a confusing pictufe and often reduces short term losses while allowing the potential for catastrophic losses 10 grow. This scattershot approach. as \\'ell as the federal and state lrend to CLlt ris)... and assume liability, have undermined the responsibility of local governments for using land-L1sc management techniques to reduce exposure to hazards. \VAR:"lI~GS Since the first assessment was complcred, signincant improvements in short-term forecasts and warnings (hours to days ahead of a hazardous event) have dramatically reduced loss or lire and injmy in the United States. 'let many communities lag in their ability to provide citizens with effective warning mes- sages. The nation needs to make local \\'urning systems mOfe L1llirorm, develop a comprehensive model for hm\' they work. and provide this information to local communities along with technical assistance. Better local management and decision making are now more critical than most future advances in technolob'Y' It's also important to rememher th;]t short-term warning systems du Hul significantly limit damage to the built environment, nor do they mitigate economic disruption from disastcfs. Long-range forecasts that help Who is at Risk ReseClrch hCls shown that people afe typically unaware of all the risks 3nd choices they face. Tht'y plan only for the immedi<lte future, overesti- mate their ability to copt' when disaster strikes, and rely heavily on emf'rgf'ncy relief.. .. Hazard researchers now also recognize that df'mographic differences playa large role in determining the risks people encounter, whether and how they pre- pare for disasters, <lnd how they fare when disas- ter~ occur. For example, non-minorities and house- holds with highf'r 'iocioeconomic status fare better, while low-income household~ art" at greater risk mainly because they live in lower-quality housing, and because disasters exacerbate poverty. . . . The need for mitigation and response efforts that acknowledgt' the demographic differences among the nation"> citizens will become even more criti- cal as the U.s. population becomes more diverse. Research is also needed to '>hed further light on how mitigation programs ranging from public education to disaster relief can be rendered equitably. 7