Mitigation is the effort to reduce loss of life and property by lessening the impact of disasters. In order for mitigation to be effective we need to take action now—before the next disaster—to reduce human and financial consequences later (analyzing risk, reducing risk, and insuring against risk). It is important to know that disasters can happen at any time and any place and if we are not prepared, consequences can be fatal.

Effective mitigation requires that we all understand local risks, address the hard choices, and invest in long-term community well-being. Without mitigation actions, we jeopardize our safety, financial security and self-reliance.

The most important part of implementing disaster mitigation is the full understanding of the nature of threat. In India, different states are vulnerable to different types of hazards. Some states are prone to floods and droughts, others to floods and cyclones. Some states are prone to earthquake, falling in highly active seismic zone (zone 5 or 4). Most states are prone to combination of various hazards.

The effects these hazards are likely to have and the damage they are likely to cause depends mainly on the following:

i) Population in that region,

ii) Type of houses,

iii) Sources of their livelihood (Agriculture, others),

iv) Infrastructure

To understand hazards of a specific region/state and to develop mitigation strategy, one should have knowledge of:

i) Causes of hazards and how they arise,

ii) Disaster History of the area

a. Occurrence of hazards,

b. Frequency,

c. Magnitude (severity),

iii)