mitigace

Mitigace is the process of reducing the severity, likelihood, or impact of a negative outcome. In Czech usage, the term is applied across fields such as environmental policy, disaster risk management, health, and finance. It derives from the Latin mitigare (to soften) and is used to describe deliberate actions that lessen harm or exposure.

In climate policy, mitigation refers to efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to enhance sinks of carbon and other pollutants. Typical strategies include improving energy efficiency, decarbonizing electricity and transport, shifting to renewable energy sources, minimizing methane and nitrous oxide releases, and expanding sustainable land use and forestry practices. Policy instruments such as carbon pricing, subsidies for clean technologies, and regulations support mitigation efforts.

In disaster risk management, mitigation encompasses measures that reduce a community’s vulnerability to hazards before a disaster occurs. This includes structural interventions like safe buildings and flood defenses, as well as non-structural actions such as land-use planning, building codes, hazard mapping, and public awareness campaigns. Effective mitigation lowers potential damages and shortens recovery time after events.

In health and public health, mitigation involves steps to reduce the spread or severity of diseases and injuries, such as vaccination campaigns, hygiene promotion, infection control, and risk communication. In finance and business, mitigation refers to strategies designed to limit potential losses, including hedging, diversification, insurance, and contingency planning.

Implementation typically requires risk assessment, prioritization, resource allocation, and monitoring to adapt measures as conditions change. See also adaptation, resilience, and risk management.