On Mainland Tanzania, the Prime Minister's Office, through its Disaster Management Department, coordinates national disaster risk management. National, regional, district, city, municipal, town, ward, village and Mtaa committees work with ministries, departments, agencies, local government authorities, rapid-response teams and volunteers. Zanzibar is coordinated through the Zanzibar Disaster Management Commission under the Second Vice President's Office, with district and Shehia structures. Zanzibar's system is supported by the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act 2015, the Zanzibar Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan and the Zanzibar Disaster Management Information System. Tanzania's main disaster term is maafa. Disaster risk reduction means reducing exposure and vulnerability before an event through risk analysis, safer planning, public information, local committees, contingency plans and sector budgets. The Disaster Management Act No. 6 of 2022 and its 2022 Regulations provide the Mainland framework. Preparedness also includes supplies, trained responders and measures for children, older people, people with disabilities and displaced people. Flooding has the highest general relevance. Between 2015 and 2020, reported disasters included 307 deaths, 317,907 affected people and 50,588 destroyed houses. Urban flood exposure is concentrated in low-lying areas, riverbanks, wetlands, informal settlements and places with inadequate drainage; about 463 square kilometres of urban land is described as high-risk. Drought is highly relevant in northern and central areas, especially Arusha, Manyara, Shinyanga, Simiyu and Dodoma, where water, food, livestock and harvests can be affected. Earthquake risk is regionally high around Kagera, Mwanza, Sumbawanga, Lake Tanganyika, Lake Natron and Dodoma. The 2016 Kagera earthquake measured 5.9 and caused reported deaths, injuries, affected households and damage to homes and public buildings. Landslides threaten parts of Same, Makete, Arusha and the southern highlands. Coastal storms and cyclones mainly affect coastal Tanzania, Zanzibar, Mafia, Lindi and nearby transport and marine activity. Direct cyclone landfall is uncommon, but heavy rain, coastal flooding and sea disruption remain possible. Tsunami warnings concern the Indian Ocean. Other events include wildfires, building collapse, chemical or technical incidents, road, rail and marine accidents, and failures of electricity, water, telecommunications or other critical infrastructure. Epidemics primarily belong to the health topic, although a disaster response may need coordination with health authorities. The Tanzania Meteorological Authority provides weather, seasonal, regional, marine, tsunami and severe-weather warnings. Its TMA Tahadhari services are among the official warning channels. The Prime Minister's Office Emergency Operations Coordination Centre collects and shares emergency information, while e-MAAFA supports multi-hazard warnings, incident reporting and mapping of risks, resources and evacuation locations. Official information may also come through regional, local government, ward, village or Mtaa leadership, radio, television and social media. A warning does not prove that a particular shelter is open; Tanzania does not have a verified nationwide public shelter directory. During an emergency, call 190 for maafa, 112 for police, 114 for Fire and Rescue, or 115 for an ambulance. Network coverage and local availability can vary. Fire and Rescue handles rescue and fire safety, police support security, traffic control and cordons, and Tanzania Red Cross, non-governmental, faith-based and community organisations may provide shelter, food, water, first aid and relief according to assessed needs. Follow official instructions, leave danger areas when directed and do not return until the responsible authorities declare the area safe. Assistance is normally based on incident, damage and needs assessments rather than an automatic nationwide payment or shelter entitlement. The National Disaster Management Fund supports preparedness, immediate response and relief. The Disaster Risk Financing Framework 2025–2030 identifies a planned annual budget allocation of TZS 2 billion plus contingency funding, but this is not an individual payment guarantee. Recovery uses assessment, rehabilitation, reconstruction and Build Back Better measures; timing depends on the event and the affected infrastructure. Roads, bridges, water sources, drainage, buildings, schools, electricity, transport and communications may involve different sector authorities and local governments. A planned target to operate the Emergency Operations Coordination Centre continuously by 2027 should not be treated as independently confirmed live capacity.
Disasters in Tanzania
Disaster risk management in Tanzania covers the prevention, preparation, warning, emergency response, evacuation and recovery needed when hazards seriously threaten people, the environment or critical infrastructure. Floods are the dominant risk, while drought, earthquakes, landslides, coastal storms, tsunamis, fires, accidents and infrastructure failures affect particular regions or situations. Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar use separate legal and institutional arrangements.
Tip
Treat flood preparation as the first priority in most parts of Tanzania, then adapt your plan to local exposure such as drought, earthquakes, landslides or coastal hazards. Keep several official warning channels available, prepare essential supplies and documents, and do not assume that a shelter or emergency service is available merely because it appears in a plan.