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The Disaster Research Unit (DRU) of the Freie Universität Berlin is a social science research institution specialising in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research into disasters.
The DRU’s body of work encompasses the entire “disaster cycle”: from its inception, its progression, into its after-math and the associated reconstruction and coping. This research topically breaks down into risk perception, risk reduction, disaster prevention, preparation, warning and disaster behaviour, all the way to disaster coping and sustainable reconstruction for industrialised nations as well as the so-called “Global South”. In addition to this, the DRU engages in social scientific and humanities basic research alongside other applied research and consulting.
The DRU affords special significance and attention to study aspects concerning: perception and communication for risks and hazards, situationally adequate behaviour, as well as form-fitted development and adaptation of systems for prevention, early warning, protective, and disaster management.
The Sendai Framework Voluntary Commitments (SFVC) online platform allows stakeholders to inform the public about their work on DRR. The SFVC online platform is a useful toolto know who is doing what and where for the implementation of the Sendai Framework, which could foster potential collaboration among stakeholders. All stakeholders (private sector, civil society organizations, academia, media, local governments, etc.) working on DRR can submit their commitments and report on their progress and deliverables.