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...
Foundation of a new DLR institute: pooling expertise for space research
With the founding of the DLR Institute of Space Research on May 1, 2025 in Berlin-Adlershof, the German Aerospace Center, which is an institutional member of DKKV, is pooling its expertise in planetary research and optical sensor systems. The institute develops...
4th partner meeting of the FlashFloodBreaker project
FlashFloodBreaker is an EU-funded project (2024-2028) that develops strategies, early warning systems and training programs to prepare for extreme flash floods in seven particularly vulnerable regions of Northwest Europe. DKKV has been active as a associated partner...
Stop Disasters: An online game for disaster risk sensitization
The online game “Stop Disasters”, developed by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), is designed to teach players how to build safer communities against natural hazards. The game simulates five disaster scenarios in which players must take...
Initial assumptions about the cause of the blackout on the Iberian Peninsula
On April 28, 2025, a large-scale power outage occurred on the Iberian Peninsula, the causes of which are still being investigated. Initial assumptions assume that a high solar feed-in and a low instantaneous reserve could have contributed to the instability of the...
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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.