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...
Warning of heatwave with almost 40 degrees in Germany
Germany is facing an intense heatwave in the coming days, peaking on Wednesday, with temperatures of up to 39 degrees and tropical nights of over 20 degrees, according to the German weather service. In addition to the high heat load, the risk of forest fires is also...
DKKV visit by a delegation from China
On Friday, June 27, 2025, a delegation from the International Department of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission (NEAC) from China, which deals with international relations and cooperation in the field of ethnic politics, visited us at the DKKV office in Bonn. At...
EUMA Summer School: Disaster Risk Management 2.0 – Current and Future Challenges
The EUMA Summer School will take place from 22 to 26 September 2025 at the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, Italy, as the final teaching activity of the EU-funded EUMA project. It offers 36 hours of instruction over five days and combines classroom...
Forest fires on Chios, Greece
On the Greek island of Chios, firefighting efforts continue against the forest and bush fires that have been raging since Sunday. Several hundred firefighters and numerous islanders are working tirelessly. As the fires broke out almost simultaneously in three...
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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.