The DKKV is…
German Committee for Disaster Reduction e.V. (ger.: Deutsches Komitee Katastrophenvorsorge e.V.)
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Call for entries for the DKKV Promotional Award 2024 open!
Since 2018, the DKKV has been awarding the annual "DKKV Promotional Award" to recognize current research and best practice examples related to disaster risk reduction and disaster risk management. The prize is aimed at German and English-language Bachelor's and...
Klima-ACT! – Experiencing climate change in Hamburg and countering its consequences
The "Klima-ACT!" project at HAW Hamburg aims to make climate change tangible and actively counteract the consequences. It uses virtual reality to show users the effects of extreme weather events on their personal environment using the example of an allotment garden in...
Compulsory civil defence drills in schools?
In Germany, the federal states themselves are responsible for education and civil protection. Recent crises such as the war in Ukraine or the floods in the Ahr Valley in June 2021 show that we need to build up our resilience in civil defence and disaster control....
THW 2023 review
The Technische Hilfswerk (THW) has published its annual review for 2023. THW started 2023 with a mission in Turkey. Following the devastating earthquakes, the THW's emergency services helped to rescue buried victims, supported the United Nations (UN) mission and...
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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.