365The Economics of Mitigation Options
public preparedness. When climate and environmental disasters occur, it
is usually government institutions that provide the necessary funding and
develop the technologies, management systems, and support programs to
minimize the occurrence of a repeat situation. A well-known example of this
is the Dust Bowl that occurred in the Midwestern United States in the 1930s.
It was through the efforts of the U.S. government that conservation efforts
were started in order to properly manage the nation’s soil and agriculture to
prevent a repeat disaster of that nature.
In view of climate change today and the already unstoppable effects into
the future, adaptation and mitigation are necessary (and