Dodoma - Tanzania celebrates the opening of its first national Situation Room for emergency communications and operations. This facility was established by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) with scientific support from Fondazione CIMA and funding from the Italian Cooperation. The inauguration ceremony was attended by notable figures including the Tanzanian Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, 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.

This Situation Room joins the AMHEWAS (Africa Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Early Action System) network, a program that has facilitated the establishment of interconnected operations rooms across the African continent. Under the guidance of the Tanzanian Prime Minister's Office, the room will be capable of real-time monitoring of current and future risks, utilizing data from past events and producing regular bulletins and forecasts. Central to this facility is an Italian technology used by Civil Protection: the MyDEWETRA open-source platform developed by Fondazione CIMA and recognized by the World Meteorological Organization, which enables data exchange among partners at various levels.

"This initiative aims to provide tangible support to our Tanzanian partner, demonstrating the added value that the Italian system, with its excellences, can bring," said Minister of State Mhagama. "This room represents a fundamental milestone in protecting the Tanzanian population. We are now better prepared to monitor risks, disseminate early warnings, and ensure rapid emergency responses. Together with UNDRR, AICS, and CIMA, our government can build a safer and more resilient future for our communities."

Kamal Kishore of UNDRR added, "I wish to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Tanzanian government for this achievement. It is a significant step forward in strengthening the country's resilience and a fundamental contribution to the Early Warning network across the African continent. We will not stop until every African country is protected by early warning systems for various risks."

Marco Riccardo Rusconi, Director of AICS, stated, "Italy has traditionally been a reliable partner for Africa in building disaster resilience. Thanks to Italian contributions, Situation Rooms have been established in Addis Ababa, which has a continental reach, as well as regional ones in Niamey, Nairobi, and Abuja. This is just one of the fruits of the partnership with Africa, which is set to grow further thanks to the Mattei Plan of the Italian government, aimed at intensifying and expanding cooperation with the continent."

Luca Ferraris, President of Fondazione CIMA, emphasized, "The national situation room significantly enhances the state's capacity to safeguard the population and livelihoods. It is a management hub where scientifically trained personnel are equipped with innovative technologies for cross-referencing data from multiple sources, combining scientific information on risks, and capable of issuing timely warning bulletins on impacts, thereby allowing for preventive actions to be activated in advance." (9colonne)