Newsblog

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 in the field of fire protection and safety. In 1990, he joined […]

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 Center. These initiatives help to strengthen the resilience of nurses and improve […]

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) designed to collect and analyze post-disaster damage and loss data. Building on prior efforts, this […]

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 storms led to losses of US$ 173 billion. Non-peak perils such as […]

On January 20, the Lunchtalk was held to mark the 20th anniversary of the 2004 tsunami. Dr. Alexander Rudloff shed light on the historical event and explained how tsunamis can occur. Particular attention was paid to the early warning systems – both then and now. In the discussion that followed, possible improvements to the early […]

In the run-up to the 2025 federal elections, the umbrella organisation of development and humanitarian non-governmental organisations in Germany (VENRO) has published its position paper ‘Taking responsibility for a fairer world’. In it, more than 140 non-governmental organisations formulate key demands for a fair and sustainable development policy and for the strengthening of humanitarian aid. […]

In an interview with Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Johann Georg Goldammer from the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC), we talk about the causes and prevention of fires, particularly in California. Question: How did the fires in California happen, especially in January, when we normally think of wildfires in summer? Johann Georg Goldammer: The fires […]

On 30 January 2025 from 2 p.m., the Deichverband Bislich-Landesgrenze invites you to a ‘Theme Day against Flood Dementia’ at the Bürgerhaus Rees to draw attention to the dangers of flooding and heavy rainfall. 30 years after the last major flood on the Rhine in 1995, the need for education and personal precautions is emphasised, […]

On December 18, 2024, several young professionals (YPs) met at the DKKV office in Bonn for a serious games lab. In the workshop, the participants had the opportunity to try out various serious games on the topics of disaster prevention and risk communication in two rounds of games. The games were then discussed in depth […]