ACT-Wazalendo Questions El Niño Preparations and Calls for Urgent Action

ACT-Wazalendo says Tanzania is not doing enough to prepare for rains expected to be heavily influenced by El Niño, and is calling for immediate action to protect lives and property.

The party wants regional and district authorities to identify, classify and publicly announce hazardous areas, while preparing safe locations where residents could be evacuated if flooding occurs. It also called for farmers and livestock keepers to receive guidance on dealing with the rains and urged the government to establish a national disaster-response team.

The proposed team would include the Prime Minister’s Office, the President’s Office for Regional Administration and Local Government, and the Tanzania Meteorological Authority. ACT-Wazalendo said the team should monitor preparations across all regions. It also urged the government to increase funding for the National Food Reserve Agency to buy and store emergency supplies, and to create an adequate disaster-response budget instead of relying on donor assistance.

The concerns came days after President Samia Suluhu Hassan instructed regional and district leaders to take precautions against the rains during a ceremony in Tunguu, Zanzibar. The Tanzania Meteorological Authority expects short rains from October through December to range from average to above average, with El Niño having a major influence. The areas identified as most vulnerable include the northern coast, the northeastern highlands, the Lake Victoria zone and northern Kigoma Region.

Speaking to reporters on September 6, ACT-Wazalendo mainland deputy chairman Isihaka Mchinjita said the government should cut unnecessary spending and redirect resources toward disaster preparations. He cited the serious effects experienced in places including Rufiji in 2024, despite weather forecasts, and called for faster construction of bridges, culverts and roads.

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The question the government should ask itself today is what it is doing to ensure that the effects caused by the 2024 rains do not happen again. ACT-Wazalendo does not want words without action. Since these rains will cause harm, the government must take the measures we have proposed and implement them to protect citizens and their property.