Realise tends to mean "know", be aware of.
Understand tends to imply that the cause is known, or appreciated, or accepted.
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You can also qualify "understand" ot closer to "know" by adding qualification on what you understand.
eg
I understand that you want this, I don't understand why you want it.
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Realise can also be averb, meaning to bring to fruition, to make, to complete.
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I realise that you would like to keep a pet, but I have never liked pets, so I don't understand why anyone would have one.
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I realise the price has gone up. I just don't understand why.