THE United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has expressed its willingness to support Tanzania in disaster management.

In a statement delivered on her behalf, UNDP Tanzania Resident Representative, Christine Musisi observed that persistent and emerging disaster risks in the country have highlighted the need to strengthen national structures to prepare for potential disasters and to build the capacity to manage them effectively on all administrative levels of society.

She disclosed that UNDP's programmes in Tanzania addressed the country's presently low capacity in disaster preparedness and management with a key focus on climate-change-related disasters, which comprised more than 70 per cent of all disasters witnessed.

"We are honored to support the national efforts to strengthen disaster risk management here in Tanzania," said Ms Musisi on the sidelines of a National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction for Validation of Tanzania Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan and Tanzania Disaster Communication Strategy here on Monday.

The UNDP Resident Representative assured that her office will identify gaps and participate to mobilize required resources to address disaster related gaps through working with Disaster

Management Department at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO-DMD) and other relevant institutions including the Vice President Office, Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) and the Ministry of Water.

According to Ms Musisi, UNDP will collaborate with relevant institutions to support acute disaster management efforts both on the mainland and in Zanzibar and to support the Government to strengthen institutional, organizational, and individual capacity to assess, prepare and manage disasters.