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German Committee for Disaster Reduction e.V. (ger.: Deutsches Komitee Katastrophenvorsorge e.V.)
Newsblog
Wildfire in France
France is currently experiencing its largest wildfire in more than 75 years. The fire spread rapidly in the south of the country in the mountainous Corbières region, affecting more than 16,000 hectares [1,2]. A total of 15 municipalities have been affected, numerous...
Flash flood in the Himalayas
Sudden and heavy rain caused landslides and flash floods in the Himalayas. The weather service had earlier issued a severe weather warning [1,2,3]. The village of Dharali in the state of Uttarakhand, located in the foothills of the Himalayas in north-eastern India and...
New issue of the Disasters Avoided newsletter
The july issue of the Disasters Avoided Newsletter focuses on the central role of financing and insurance solutions in proactively reducing disaster risks. The newsletter features an interview with Cherie Gray, Global Lead of Sustainability & Market Development at...
New Metop-SGA1 satellite for improved weather forecasts
On 13 August 2025, the Metop-SGA1 satellite from the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) will launch from Kourou (French Guiana). On board is the METimage multispectral camera, a high-tech measuring instrument designed to...
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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.