The DKKV is…
German Committee for Disaster Reduction e.V. (ger.: Deutsches Komitee Katastrophenvorsorge e.V.)
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Apply now for the DKKV Promotional Award 2025!
Science meets practice: Apply now for the DKKV Promotional Award 2025! The call for applications for the DKKV Promotional Award 2025 is now open! We are once again looking for outstanding bachelor's and master's theses related to disaster prevention and risk...
Reminder- June 13th – RISKKAN – Webinar: WG Cities and critical Infrastructure
Tomorrow at 1pm another RISKKAN webinar on the topic “WG Cities and Critical Infrastructure ‘Societal resilience and infrastructure – who is forgotten in post-disaster recovery?’ will take place. Prof. Dr. Alexander Fekete, personal member of DKKV, and Mark Pelling...
Newly Published – Disaster Loss Data Management: Current Practices, Challenges, and Opportunities in Europe
The European Commission has published the report “Disaster Loss Data Management: Current Practices, Challenges, and Opportunities in Europe”. It examines the collection and management of disaster loss data in 17 countries and reveals major differences in legal bases,...
The 2025 update of the UNDRR-ISC Hazard Information Profiles
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the International Science Council (ISC) have published the updated Hazard Information Profiles (HIPs) 2025. The comprehensive revision provides reliable, science-based information on 282 hazards,...
Drought: water withdrawal from Bonn streams is prohibited
From June 5, 2025, water abstraction from Bonn's streams is prohibited by general decree due to persistent drought. Despite some rainfall in spring, the water levels remain critically low, which is putting a heavy ecological strain on the streams. The regulation...
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What is disaster risk reduction?
Storms, natural hazards and extreme events can quickly become a danger to people and the environment. But climate change, extreme urbanization, power outages and fires also offer potential hazards.
A disaster occurs when the functioning of a community or society is impaired or interrupted and, as a result, high human, material, economic and ecological losses occur that cannot be managed alone.
Precautionary measures can help to reduce the consequences and impact of the disaster. Depending on the hazard and personal circumstances, the precautionary measures to be taken may vary.
Find out more about potential hazards and individual precautionary measures on our topic pages.