This year’s NEEDS conference took place in Kaunas, Lithuania, from 27 to 30 April – with contributions from both the Disaster Research Unit (DRU) and the Academy of the Disaster Research Unit (ADRU) gGmbH.

In their presentation Building up resilience: the key role of local administrations in disaster management. Research results from Germany, Nicolas Bock and Peter Windsheimer-Kolla presented the latest findings from the KRISENFIT research project. Their focus was on a historical analysis of the development of crisis management in Germany, as well as the initial results of a network analysis of local actors in municipal crisis management, based on interviews with experts.

Sara T. Merkes and Theresa Zimmermann presented the findings of a quick-response survey on the experiences of those affected during the power outtage in south Berlin in early 2026 in their presentation Blackout in a Berlin Neighbourhood: Voices of Those Affected.

Furthermore, the visit to Lithuania provided an opportunity for an on-site professional assessment: the team investigated how local civil protection contact points in Lithuania are designated and organised, and how civil defence was implemented during the Cold War. Sara T. Merkes and Theresa Zimmermann also exchanged views with the Lithuanian Red Cross on civil defence practices. 

The conference also provided an excellent opportunity to network within the field of social science research on crises and disasters, and to catch up with former colleagues and research partners.