On November 10, 2023, the third and final pre-event for the Disaster Risk Reduction Conference in April 2024 took place. The DKKV e.V. organized this event together with the ADH e.V. in the premises of the Malteser in Cologne. In the morning, an online and face-to-face event took place at which the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB), the Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe Rheinland-Westfalen-Lippe (DKH RWL) and the Katastophenforschungsstelle (KFS) of the Freie Universität Berlin each gave a keynote speech on the topic of “Practical exchange: Disaster relief and management abroad and in Germany“. These presentations aimed to strengthen the network between actors in disaster relief and management in the national and international context in order to facilitate an exchange on approaches, good practice experiences and conclusions. You will find the recording of the morning on the DKKV YouTube channel next week. The presentation slides are available on the DKKV und AHD website. (Both will only be available in German.)
In the afternoon, there was a series of workshops for the guests present. At 5 different tables, the participants exchanged views on various topics in two rounds, analyzed the current status, shared practical experiences and identified needs for exchange and next steps.
- Coordination of higher-level structures
- Cooperation with spontaneous helper initiatives
- Needs assessment
- Community-based disaster risk reduction
- Inclusion of vulnerable groups
After a two-hour workshop, all participants came together and shared their results. ADH and DKKV would like to thank all participants for the intensive exchange from different perspectives and Malteser International for providing the premises.