The DKKV is…
German Committee for Disaster Reduction e.V. (ger.: Deutsches Komitee Katastrophenvorsorge e.V.)
Newsblog
Drought monitor and soil moisture viewer show alarming situation in northern Germany
The drought monitor of the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ) shows a worrying development: Many regions in Germany are currently experiencing a drought with a statistical annuality of 50 years. The topsoil, which has hardly stored any water in the last...
VOST Now Officially the First Digital Local Unit of THW
On the occasion of its 75th anniversary, the German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) has established its 669th local unit in Bonn – the first fully virtual unit in the organization’s history. This new local unit is based on the Virtual Operations Support Team...
Heavy Rainfall in New South Wales, Australia Causes Severe Flooding
In recent days, torrential rainfall has affected large parts of Australia, particularly regions in New South Wales (NSW) and along the Mid North Coast. In some areas, up to 500 mm of rain fell within 24 hours, leading to severe flooding [1,2]. As a result of the...
Flash News from the Disaster Risk Management Knowledge Centre
The new Newsflash of the Disaster Risk Management Knowledge Center (DRMKC) has been published. This issue of the DRMKC newsletter highlights key topics of disaster and crisis management in the EU and presents the Preparedness Union Strategy (PUS), which aims 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.