Introduction
Mitigation is a complex term that is differently understood by different professionals. Most of them put mitigation as the reduction/ lessening of a threat thus making it less serious. It may not necessarily mean to do away completely with the threat.
In overcoming any threat like climate change, different personnel have to play part effectively so as to bring forth the desired results. Earthquakes have become a serious cause of rampant deaths and other destructions that are not pleasing. The community is trying to mitigate earthquakes to reduce the alarming deaths and destructions they cause.
Different personnel are to play part in this mitigation phase. The general way of eliminating any hazards is through education and so the school board has to play part in mitigation of earthquakes. Other personnel who are ought to take part in this mitigation are psychologists, geologists, construction engineers, architects and politicians. All theses parties found in the community and they work together with the school playing the biggest role to mitigate earthquakes (Godschalk, 1999).
Discussion
The different personnel involved in mitigation of earthquakes have various roles they ought to play. To begin with we look at geologists. These are professionals who carry scientific study of the earth’s interior and the reactions and changes that take place in earth’s interior.
Geologists are in a position to know when an earthquake will occur and how strong it shall be. They can also identify the areas where earthquakes are frequent. The school board is a program that was set in the United States. It mainly deals with disaster preparedness, its mitigation and also how it can be managed.
The school board makes students in public schools to be aware of the hazards in the local community. Architects are personnel who design and control construction. They play an important role that is supposed to be done perfectly to avoid collapsing of buildings during earthquakes. Psychologists are scientist who study the minds of human beings and animals and also guide in control of problems related to the mind.
Psychologists play a big role in mitigating earthquakes by making people to be psychologically prepared to face the hazards. The construction engineers are professionals who budget and run the construction activities and also locate where the buildings shall be constructed. Politicians are people elected by the people to represent them in the government and also to lead those under their power (Ayothiraman & Hazarika, 2008).
All the above personnel can work systematically to mitigate earthquakes. The geologists after discovering how the hazard will be strong, they should let the psychologists know. This is in case of immediate earthquakes. The psychologists are then ought to prepare people’s brains to face the hazard.
The geologists should also inform the architects on the areas where earthquakes are likely to occur and how strong they will be able. This will enable the architects to design buildings that can withstand the strong shaking of the earth. The architects should also advice the construction engineers on where to use very strong materials to get strong buildings. The politicians in most cases play their roles after the catastrophes have hit.
The politicians should sympathize with the victims to make them be at peace. The politicians should also arrange for migration of people from areas where the earthquakes are going to hit strongly. Lastly, the school board plays a good role and they should work hand in hand to bring awareness to the public about earthquakes. The school board is ought to explain to the public on what to do after the calamity has hit (Godschalk, 1999).
Conclusion
The geologists, politicians, architects, construction engineers, psychologists and the school have a common role. This role is directed towards mitigating earthquakes. If each of the latter parties plays its role perfectly, then definitely earthquake hazards will be mitigated and thus save many lives that are been lost like it happened in Japan a few months ago. The community has to be educated on this just as the school board is doing.
References
Ayothiraman. R. & Hazarika. H. (2008). Earthquake hazards and mitigation. London: I. K. International Pvt Ltd.
Godschalk, D. R. (1999). Natural hazard mitigation: Recasting disaster policy and planning. New Jersey, NJ: Island Press.