Reduction of something harmful or the reduction of its harmful effects
Mitigation is the reduction of something harmful that has occurred or the reduction of its harmful effects.[1] It may refer to measures taken to reduce the harmful effects of hazards that remain in potentia,[2] or to manage harmful incidents that have already occurred.[1] It is a stage or component of emergency management and of risk management.[2] The theory of mitigation is a frequently used element in criminal law and is often used by a judge to try cases such as murder, where a perpetrator is subject to varying degrees of responsibility as a result of one's actions.
An all-hazards approach to disaster management considers all known hazards and their natural and anthropogenic potential risks and impacts, with the intention of ensuring that measures taken to mitigate one type of risk do not increase vulnerability to other types of risks. Proactive disaster mitigation measures are generally more effective than reactive measures in eliminating or reducing the impacts,[2] but not all disasters are reasonably foreseeable, and when an unforeseen disaster occurs, mitigation is necessarily after the fact. Proactive disaster mitigation measures may be structural or non-structural, and will generally be based on measurement and assessment of the risk and the cost of setting up the measures, and possibly the cost of maintenance.[3]
Mitigation planning identifies policies and actions that can be taken over the long term to reduce risk, and in the event of a disaster occurring, minimize loss. Such policies and actions are based on a risk assessment, using the identified hazards, vulnerabilities and probabilities of occurrence and estimates of impact to calculate risks, and are generally planned in cooperation with the stakeholder groups.[2] The principles are applicable to mitigation of risk in general.
Environmental mitigation – Projects or programs intended to offset known impacts to an existing historic or natural resources in public administration; also, in particular:
Disaster mitigation – Dealing with all humanitarian aspects of emergenciesPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets in emergency management; also, in particular:
Flood mitigation – Methods used to reduce or prevent the detrimental effects of flood watersPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
Landslide mitigation – Modifications to slopes to reduce the effect of landslides
Hurricane mitigation – Planning and actions to deal with a tropical cyclone strikePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, a U.S. federal legislation passed in 2000 that amended provisions of the United States Code related to disaster relief
Mitigation (law), the principle that a party who has suffered loss has to take reasonable action to minimize the amount of the loss suffered
Also in law, mitigating factors may cause a crime to be considered less serious, or provide a reason to make a punishment less severe.[4]
Mitigation of the effects of incidents and health hazards is one of the central precepts of occupational safety and health, as workers may be exposed to hazards, and that it is not always possible to eliminate the associated risk, making it necessary to deal with the consequences on those occasions when harmful incidents occur.
