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German Committee for Disaster Reduction e.V. (ger.: Deutsches Komitee Katastrophenvorsorge e.V.)

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Online self-paced course on IPBES and IPCC now available

Online self-paced course on IPBES and IPCC now available

The EU-funded project RESPIN offers an English-language online self-paced course entitled “IPBES and IPCC: Bridging Science, Policy and Practice.” The course is aimed at participants from science, policy, and practice and can be completed independently. The course...

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Virtual flight over the Flaugergues crater on Mars

Virtual flight over the Flaugergues crater on Mars

A new video from the Mars Express mission takes viewers on a virtual flight over one of the most striking structures in the southern Martian highlands: the 245-kilometre-wide impact crater Flaugergues. The animation is based on image data from the High Resolution...

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The DKKV on Bluesky
CEDIM legt DFA Task Force Report zur Hitzewelle im Juni vor: Der vorliegende Bericht untersucht die meteorologischen Ursachen der Hitzewelle und beleuchtet ihre Auswirkungen auf verschiedene natürliche und sozioökonomische Bereiche. Mehr: www.cedim.kit.edu/download/CED...
08.07 2026 - 12:59
DKKV Vorsitzender Leon Eckert MdB (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) zu Besuch im Zukunftslabor Sicherheit: Im Mittelpunkt stand die Frage wie vorausschauender Bevölkerungsschutz auf die unterschiedlichen Bedürfnisse einer vielfältigen Gesellschaft eingehen kann Mehr: dkkv.org/dkkv-vorsitz...
08.07 2026 - 10:16
Vulkan Ätna auf Sizilien ausgebrochen Mehr: dkkv.org/vulkan-aetna...
08.07 2026 - 10:02
Fokusgruppengespräch mit Seniorinnen in Buxtehude: Erfahrungen, Austausch und neue Perspektiven für die Katastrophenvorsorge Erasmus+ Projekt Resilient Voices Mehr: dkkv.org/fokusgruppen...
08.07 2026 - 09:31
Schwere Unwetter in China: Tote nach Fluten und Erdrutschen Heftige Regenfälle haben in mehreren Regionen Chinas verheerende Überschwemmungen und Erdrutsche ausgelöst. Mehr: dkkv.org/schwere-unwe...
07.07 2026 - 07:24

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 urbanisation, 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.