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

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Survey on the 2025 National Warning Day launched

Survey on the 2025 National Warning Day launched

On 11 September 2025, the ‘Nationwide Warning Day’ took place in Germany. In order to further improve the warning system for the population in future, the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) is conducting a population survey in...

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FDA Task Force Mailing List

FDA Task Force Mailing List

The Forensic Disaster Analysis (FDA) Task Force at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is a central component of the Centre for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction Technology (CEDIM). Immediately after major natural disasters, it analyses their causes,...

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The DKKV on Bluesky
"Sturmdokumentation 2025 Deutschland" der Deutschen Rückversicherung erschienen Insgesamt blieben die Naturgefahrschäden im Jahr 2025 unterdurchschnittlich. Der Erderwärmungstrend setzt sich jedoch fort. Mehr: dkkv.org/sturmdokumen...
25.06 2026 - 11:38
Neue DKKV-Themenseite zu CBRN-Gefahren veröffentlicht! Mehr: dkkv.org/themenseiten...
25.06 2026 - 09:41
Rekordhitze in Europa: Eine anhaltende Hitzewelle sorgt derzeit in vielen europäischen Ländern für außergewöhnlich hohe Temperaturen. Mehr: dkkv.org/rekordhitze-...
25.06 2026 - 09:04
Schwere Erdbeben in Venezuela: Zwei starke Erdbeben haben den Norden Venezuelas, einschließlich die Hauptstadt Caracas, erschüttert. Mehr: dkkv.org/schwere-erdb...
25.06 2026 - 09:04
Aus aktuellem Anlass möchten wir auf den Leitfaden für Medien zur Berichterstattung über Extremwetter und den Klimawandel aufmerksam machen. Mehr: dkkv.org/extremwetter...
25.06 2026 - 06:23

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.