Costly natural disasters are likely to occur more frequently with climate change. Flood-prone areas along the nation’s rivers could increase by about 45 percent and coastal flood-prone areas by about 55 percent by 2100.

Our federal investment to address disasters has primarily focused on response and recovery after an event. However, with increasingly numerous and costly storms and wildfires, significant investments need to be made in pre-disaster mitigation. Expanding efforts to move more people out of harm’s way through expanded voluntary property buyout programs and strategically protecting and restoring critical natural infrastructure, such as floodplains and coastal wetlands, can improve safety and save money over the long-term.

In anticipation of the next event, hazard mitigation attempts to break the cycle of disaster, reconstruction, and repeated damage. Since 1988, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has provided more than $15 billion in grants to help communities rebuild and improve resilience. This investment has repeatedly been shown to be cost effective. According to a 2017 study conducted by the National Institute of Building Sciences, the impacts of federal mitigation grants resulted “in a national benefit of $6 for every $1 invested.”

Perhaps the most effective mitigation strategy is getting people out of disaster-prone areas. Over the past 30 years, FEMA has funded the public acquisition of more than 55,000 properties from willing landowners. Property buyouts permanently remove people and property from hazardous areas (deed restrictions required for acquired properties prevent future development on the land), thus reducing or eliminating future damage and emergency response costs. A 2008 study of 12 communities in Iowa concluded that buyouts yielded a 219 percent return on investment. The NIBS study reported that flood mitigation activities — specifically buyouts — had a benefit of $7 for every $1 invested.

Because acquired land must be permanently dedicated to open space, recreational, or wetland-management uses, buyouts also provide an opportunity for communities to create public assets while restoring the ecological integrity of the floodplain, which can further strengthen the community’s resilience. Planning that sets strategic priorities for future acquisitions can allow a community to target limited acquisition resources to areas that will maximize risk reduction while also providing habitat and fulfilling other community objectives.

Recently, planners have placed increased emphasis on the restoration or protection of natural (or green) infrastructure as cost-effective alternative hazard-mitigation solutions. This includes the restoration of natural habitat. In 2015, FEMA announced the eligibility of new activities for mitigation funding, including floodplain and stream restoration. These methods are eligible and available to be used to mitigate any hazard; however, very few of these projects have been funded.

Coastal wetlands are one of the natural features that provide valuable protection from catastrophic storms. Hurricane Sandy provides a clear illustration of the value of such wetlands as mitigation. According to one study, existing wetlands prevented $625 million in property damage. The authors state, “In this study, we show a clear correlation between wetland cover and avoided property damages: the greater the extent of the wetland, the more protection it provides. Even relatively degraded wetlands in highly urban areas like New York City provided hundreds of millions of dollars in flood protection.”

More funding should be directed toward identifying, protecting, and restoring wetlands and floodplains that can help to provide long-term resilience. Ongoing priority setting assessments and methods (such as New York’s PlaNYC) could be leveraged to provide financial resources. ELI’s report “Developing Wetland Restoration Priorities for Climate Risk Reduction and Resilience in the MARCO Region” outlines recommendations for policy and process improvements that could improve the ability of states to develop wetland restoration priorities for climate risk reduction and resilience.

Much of the needed investment in hazard mitigation could be accomplished by leveraging and integrating existing institutions and programs. A significant increase in FEMA’s Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program funding could pay for the targeted acquisition of properties from willing sellers in some of the country’s most vulnerable areas before the next disaster hits. The new omnibus spending package includes a record $249 million for the PDM program, a good step forward.

This investment, combined with programs that incentivize voluntary participation in buyouts; help relocate buyout participants within their communities; and increase funding for the restoration and protection of critical natural infrastructure like wetlands and natural floodplains could improve outcomes and reduce costs from the next disaster.

Rebecca Kihslinger is a science and policy analyst at the Environmental Law Institute.