Dodoma (TANZANIA), June 14, 2024 – Today, the Republic of Tanzania celebrates the opening of its first national Situation Room for emergency communications and operations. The Room was established by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) with scientific support from Fondazione CIMA and thanks to the generous funding received from the Italian Cooperation. The ceremony was attended by Tanzania's Minister of State from the Office of the Prime Minister, Jenista Joachim Mhagama, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for DRR, Kamal Kishore, the Director of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) Marco Riccardo Rusconi, the Director of the AICS Regional Office in Nairobi, Giovanni Grandi, and the President of Fondazione CIMA, Luca Ferraris.
The Room becomes part of the AMHEWAS ('Africa Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Early Action System') family, a program that has enabled the creation and operation of a network of interconnected operation rooms across the African continent. Under the direction of the Tanzanian Prime Minister's Office, the Room will be able to monitor current and future risks in real-time, using data from past events and producing periodic bulletins and forecasts. The core of this Room is an Italian technology, used by our Civil Protection: it is the opensource MyDEWETRA platform, developed by Fondazione CIMA and recognized by the World Meteorological Organization, which facilitates data exchange among partners at various levels. This initiative aims to provide a tangible contribution to the Tanzanian partner, showcasing the added value that the Italian system and its excellence can bring.
“This room represents a crucial milestone in protecting the people of Tanzania,” stated Minister of State Mhagama. “Now we are better prepared to monitor risks, disseminate early warnings, and ensure rapid emergency responses. Our government, together with UNDRR, AICS, and CIMA, can build a safer and more resilient future for our communities.”
“I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Government of Tanzania for this achievement, which is a significant step forward in strengthening the country's resilience and a vital contribution to the network of Early Warning systems in the African continent,” declared Kamal Kishore of UNDRR. “We will not stop until every African country is protected by early warning systems for various risks.”
“Italy, with its expertise and know-how, has traditionally been a reliable and competent partner for Africa in building disaster resilience,” stated Marco Riccardo Rusconi, Director of AICS. “Our vision extends to the entire continent, in the spirit of the Mattei Plan, supporting the creation of a true network of situation rooms capable of collecting data, processing it, and especially making it accessible to a multitude of operators, from the coasts to the most remote areas.”
“The national Situation Room significantly enhances the state’s ability to safeguard the population and livelihoods of the territory,” affirmed Luca Ferraris, president of Fondazione CIMA. “It is a management hub where staff are scientifically trained and equipped with innovative technologies for cross-referencing data from multiple sources, combining scientific risk information to produce timely impact alert bulletins, and enabling proactive preventive actions.”
Representatives from AICS, UNDRR, and Fondazione CIMA at the inauguration ceremony of the Situation Room in Dodoma.
Jenista Joachim Mhagama, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office of Tanzania, and Marco Riccardo Rusconi, Director of AICS
One of the screens inside the Situation Room