The DKKV is…
German Committee for Disaster Reduction e.V. (ger.: Deutsches Komitee Katastrophenvorsorge e.V.)
Newsblog
Wildfire in central and northern Portugal
The Portuguese firefighters are currently fighting wildfires in several regions of the country. A total of around 2,700 firefighters with over 1,000 vehicles are involved in the operation [1]. The centre and north of the country are the worst affected. The situation...
Severe flooding in China
Heavy rainfall caused severe flooding in the Chinese capital Beijing and the surrounding area. According to state media, at least 38 people were killed, 28 of them in the particularly hard-hit suburb of Miyun alone. Another eight died in a landslide in Luanping...
Flash News from the Disaster Risk Management Knowledge Centre
The latest edition of Disaster Risk Management Knowledge Centre (DRMKC) Flash News provides information on key challenges in disaster risk management in Europe, including prolonged droughts, increasing desertification and the growing threat of forest fires. To...
Visit from LMU Munich
On 29 July 2025, the DKKV office welcomed a group of bachelor's students from the Department of Geography at LMU Munich on an excursion. After an introduction to the DKKV, the students played a serious game that highlighted the importance of preventive measures...
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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.