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

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Global Catastrophic Risks Report 2026

Global Catastrophic Risks Report 2026

Global catastrophic risks are events or developments that could severely affect the lives of large numbers of people across multiple continents or even threaten the foundations of civilization. These include, for example, environmental, technological, or security...

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Call for contributions: Research conference in Remagen

Call for contributions: Research conference in Remagen

The summer of 2026 marks the fifth anniversary of the flood disaster in western Germany, and a conference entitled “Five Years After the 2021 Flood – Changing Research Perspectives” will be held in Remagen on July 2-3, 2026. Five years after the 2021 flood disaster,...

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Online-Veranstaltung: Krisen, Katastrophen, Kontrollverlust? 10. Open Campus Gefahrenabwehr Mehr: dkkv.org/veranstaltun...
23.06 2026 - 12:33
WMO: Extremhitze, Niederschlag, Gletscherschmelze und Meerestemperatur Anstieg erreichten 2025 in Asien neue Rekorde Mehr: dkkv.org/wmo-extremhi...
22.06 2026 - 09:28
BBK veröffentlicht „Wegweiser zur Zivilen Verteidigung in Kommunen“ Mehr: dkkv.org/bbk-veroeffe...
22.06 2026 - 09:00
RESITEK Live-Demo im Ahrtal: Letzte Woche war das DKKV bei der Live-Demo des RESITEK-Projekts des Deutschen Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt zu Gast. Mehr: dkkv.org/resitek-live...
22.06 2026 - 08:52
DKKV-Magazin 02/2026: "Bildung im Bevölkerungsschutz" jetzt verfügbar: dkkv.org/publikation/...
18.06 2026 - 07:58

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.