Supporting prevention and mitigation
Disaster prevention expresses the concept and intention to completely avoid the adverse impacts of hazards through actions taken, normally, in advance of a potentially disastrous event. Very often complete avoidance of losses is not feasible and efforts turn to mitigation. Meteorological, hydrological and climate information is essential to determine effective risk mitigation measures, for example, in the design of the levels of embankments that protect high-risk flood zones where settlement and economic activities are vulnerable. Structural and non-structural measures can also be taken during or after an event to prevent secondary hazards or their consequences, for example, air, soil or water contamination.