WTHF is a proud supporter of this timely conference. Visit http://construction.com/events/2011/mitigatingdisaster/ for additional information.

Conference Description:

Floods, tornados, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and landslides disrupt our environments and lead to financial and sometimes human loss. While natural hazards are inevitable, disastrous consequences are not, if policy-makers, designers and builders plan successfully.

It is evident that the impact of natural disasters on our communities is a critical issue for long-term sustainability. The risks posed to the built environment demonstrate the need to increase the visibility of disaster mitigation issues, and develop better design and construction practices and techniques and ensure that buildings and infrastructure are made more resilient and respond better when disaster strikes. This demands a fundamental shift in priorities among federal, state and local officials in how they view infrastructure threats.

When possible, planners should avoid building facilities in high-hazard zones. But when necessary, costly investments in infrastructure built in these zones need to be protected. Appropriate construction standards and adequate building codes need to be enforced to enhance significantly the resilience of buildings to the effects of natural disasters. And there is a need to fund, plan and build the infrastructure required to provide evacuation routes in future emergencies.

Engineering News-Record's Mitigating Disaster through Design & Construction conference will explore issues that are most critical to advance the dialogue regarding disaster mitigation including:

• How the public and private sectors can improve planning to create resilient urban, as well as rural, communities to withstand the outcomes of natural hazards.
• Creating common risk-assessment methodologies.
• Inspection mechanisms and training programs.
• Managing society’s evolving expectations
• Incentive (i.e. tax credits) and disincentive programs that plan for mitigation and resilience.
• Determining funding priorities.
• How social media has helped raise awareness.