The DKKV is…
German Committee for Disaster Reduction e.V. (ger.: Deutsches Komitee Katastrophenvorsorge e.V.)
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Obituary for Dr Peter Schmiedtchen
It is with deep regret that we bid farewell to Honorary Professor Dr Peter Schmiedtchen, who passed away in January 2025. After studying physics at the University of Kharkov and completing his doctorate at TU Dresden, Peter Schmiedtchen worked as a research assistant...
Nursing in civil protection: strengthening the crisis resilience of nursing staff
The Competence Center for Nursing in Civil Protection was highlighted in the Ärzte Zeitung as part of the Berlin Nursing Congress 2025. The article emphasizes the need to better prepare nurses for crises and disasters and focuses on the initiatives of the Competence...
AHEAD Project Kick-Off Meeting: Pioneering Disaster Data Management in Europe
Milan, January 22-24, 2025 – The AHEAD project, aimed at improving disaster damage and loss data management in Europe, officially commenced with a kick-off meeting in Milan. The project aspires to develop a comprehensive and fully engineered information system (IS)...
Natural hazards caused damage amounting to US$ 320 billion in 2024
In 2024, natural hazards caused damage of around US$ 320 billion worldwide, of which around US$ 140 billion was insured. Tropical cyclones were particularly costly events, with hurricanes Helene and Milton being the main causes of damage in the USA. In total, these...
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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.