Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide
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FEMA defines equity as the consistent and systematic fair, just and impartial treatment of all
individuals. To ensure that the planning process and outcomes of the local mitigation plan benefit
the whole community, equity must be central in its development. Inclusive planning processes take
time and thoughtful planning to be set up in a way that provides everyone with the resources
necessary to meaningfully participate, make progress and benefit from hazard mitigation. Equity is
not just an important principle; it is essential to reducing risk to the whole community,
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particularly
for those who face barriers to accessing assistance and for populations that are disproportionately
affected by disasters. The whole community includes individuals and communities, the private and
nonprofit sectors, faith-based organizations and all levels of government (regional/metropolitan,
state, local, tribal, territorial, insular area and federal). The mitigation plan is an opportunity to
counter some of those barriers and intentionally plan for reducing the risk of all communities.
Climate change increases the frequency, duration and intensity of natural hazards, such as wildfires,
extreme heat, drought, storms, heavy precipitation and sea level rise.. Communities are feeling the
impacts of a changing climate now.
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Many of these trends will likely continue for decades.
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These
variations create new risks to state and local governments and challenge pre-existing mitigation
plans. They also pose a unique threat to the nation's most at-risk populations by exacerbating the
impacts of disasters on underserved and socially vulnerable populations who already experience the
greatest losses from natural hazards.
Many states and communities have been planning for climate change through climate adaptation
efforts. According to the National Climate Assessment, climate adaptation refers to “actions taken at
the individual, local, regional, and national levels to reduce risks from even today’s changed climate
conditions and to prepare for impacts from additional changes projected for the future.”
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While
climate adaptation efforts may be undertaken separately or in addition to the all-hazards mitigation
planning process, hazard mitigation and climate adaptation are complementary efforts that have the
same goal: long-term risk reduction for people and increased safety for communities. The key
difference between hazard mitigation and climate adaptation is that hazard mitigation encompasses
all natural hazards, including short-term, episodic events that may or may not be connected to
climate change. Climate adaptation efforts and plans are focused on reducing the risk to and
mitigating impacts from actual or expected causes of climate change. As natural disasters cross
geographic boundaries and increase in frequency and intensity, the need to support intersecting
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National Preparedness Goal, Second Edition, 2015
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U.S. Global Change Research Program, Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in
the United States, 2018.
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Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group 1 to the Sixth
Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2021.
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U.S. Global Change Research Program, Fourth National Climate Assessment, Chapter 28: Reducing Risks through
Adaptation Actions, 2018.