Mission
Nestled in the hills of the North Carolina Piedmont, Orange County is located between Research Triangle Park and the Triad cities of Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point. With a population of more than 140,000 residents, the county includes historic Hillsborough, the county seat; Chapel Hill, home to the University of North Carolina; and Carrboro and Mebane, former railroad and mill towns.
Orange County Government works to meet the diverse needs of its residents and encourages active civic involvement and participation. More than 30 boards and commissions, composed of citizen volunteers, advise the seven-member Board of County Commissioners on policy development, planning decisions, and county programs.
The county government also provides strong support for quality public education and delivers a wide range of public services, from animal control to zoning.
Orange County undertakes a range of disaster risk reduction activities focused on preparedness, mitigation, public health, and community resilience. Through its emergency management functions, the county plans for and coordinates responses to a range of hazards, including severe weather, flooding, extreme heat and cold, and public health emergencies. These efforts are supported by hazard mitigation planning that identifies local risks and prioritizes long-term actions to reduce future losses, alongside the integration of climate and resilience considerations into county planning and policy. Orange County also places strong emphasis on public health preparedness and risk communication, working with healthcare and community partners to protect vulnerable populations and keep residents informed. Across all of these efforts, coordination with municipalities, regional partners, and state agencies, combined with active community engagement, underpins the county’s approach to reducing disaster risk and strengthening local resilience.
Voluntary Commitments
The Sendai Framework Voluntary Commitments (SFVC) online platform allows stakeholders to inform the public about their work on DRR. The SFVC online platform is a useful toolto know who is doing what and where for the implementation of the Sendai Framework, which could foster potential collaboration among stakeholders. All stakeholders (private sector, civil society organizations, academia, media, local governments, etc.) working on DRR can submit their commitments and report on their progress and deliverables.