One of the best ways to implement hazard mitigation planning is through the local planning office.
For this reason, the NOAA Coastal Services Center has renewed its commitment to serve this important community. To get more information about this group, the Center recently commissioned a study to determine how land use planners view hazard mitigation planning.
Fortunately, community planners are very enthusiastic about this topic, but there are many barriers that stand in the way. Hazard and Resiliency Planning: Perceived Benefits and Barriers among Land Use Planners investigates those barriers and offers actions that coastal programs can take to remedy the situation.
Barriers
- Disconnect with local emergency planning – hazard plans are generally developed by emergency planners, without strategic input from land use planners. This results in few hazard plans actually being implemented.
- Lack of available local, actionable data – effective hazard planning requires specific local data. Data for some communities do not exist, while other planners may have challenges locating, using, and interpreting available data.
- Lack of public support and political will – elected officials and community members who favor growth in at-risk coastal areas can influence the planning process.
- Existing development and property rights – imposing new regulations on at-risk areas where development already exists can be controversial and costly.
- Competing workplace priorities – longer-range, strategic tasks like hazard planning are often superseded by more urgent, day-to-day activities.
- Limited budgets – lack of public support and political will results in funds not being available for the comprehensive planning needed to address coastal hazards.
Fostering Behavior Change
Social scientists say the best way to change behavior is to decrease barriers and increase benefits. The report recommended many actions, including these listed below.
- Help local planners and community leaders identify specific hazard-related data and information needs. Focus on data that could motivate communities to take action, or data that would inform the work of those committed to hazard planning. Offer assistance when needed.
- Consolidate existing resources relevant to local hazard planning to provide an easier way for planners to locate and use the resources. Publicize these resources to the broader planning community.
- Prepare detailed case studies and helpful outreach materials that demonstrate the economic, environmental, and social benefits of hazard and resilience planning.
- Provide guidance to community planners on implementing hazard mitigation policies in the immediate aftermath of a disaster, when elected officials and the public are more receptive to planning for these events.
- Encourage local planners to use the development or renewal of community master plans as an opportunity to incorporate risk and resilience planning principles.
- Facilitate communication between emergency planners and land use planners.
