The DKKV is…

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

Newsblog

Opening of the new AI centre at the German Weather Service

Opening of the new AI centre at the German Weather Service

The German Weather Service (DWD) has opened its new AI centre in Offenbach to make targeted use of artificial intelligence for weather and climate applications. The centre combines internal and external expertise and is developing, among other things, a modular AI...

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Wildfire in France

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...

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Flash flood in the Himalayas

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...

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New issue of the Disasters Avoided newsletter

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...

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The DKKV on Bluesky
DKKV-Lunchtalk zum Thema CBRN-Gefahren mit Oliver Meisenberg nun auf Youtube verfügbar: youtu.be/QDza0k_Zlgk
30.07 2026 - 13:55
Erdbeben der Magnitude 7.1 trifft Südwesten Japans Ein schweres Erdbeben der Magnitude 7,1 hat am 28. Juli 2026 die japanische Insel Kyūshū erschüttert. Mehr: dkkv.org/erdbeben-der...
30.07 2026 - 09:10
Erdüberlastungstag 2026 Am 30. Juli 2026 ist der weltweite Erdüberlastungstag (Earth Overshoot Day) erreicht. Ab diesem Tag hat die Menschheit rechnerisch mehr natürliche Ressourcen verbraucht, als die Erde innerhalb eines Jahres regenerieren kann.Mehr: dkkv.org/erdueberlast...
30.07 2026 - 09:08
NRW Waldbrandmodul ausgerückt In den frühen Morgenstunden des 30 Juli 2026 ist das nordrhein-westfälische Waldbrandmodul (GFFF-V DE1) im Rahmen des EU-Katastrophenschutzverfahrens (UCPM) nach Nordwestspanien ausgerückt. Mehr: dkkv.org/nrw-waldbran...
30.07 2026 - 09:07
Neue Themenseite zu #Landschaftsbränden veröffentlicht: Die Themenseiten des DKKV bereiten zentrale Themen aus den Bereichen Naturgefahren, Bevölkerungsschutz sowie verschiedene Ansätze, Konzepte, Krisen und weitere Gefahren wissenschaftlich fundiert und visuell auf. Mehr: dkkv.org/themenseiten...
30.07 2026 - 07:50

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.