Disaster Risk Management and Emergency Response Legislations and Strategies Awareness in Tanzania: A Case of Dar Es Salaam City

This study evaluated major cities’ compliance and awareness to the disaster management and emergency response legislations and strategies in Tanzania with a focus on Dar es salaam city that have experienced persistent undesirable disasters and emergencies that arise from both natural and manmade. The study also focused at actions and programs embarked by the Dar es Salaam City Governments (Ilala, Temeke, Ubungo and Kinondoni) to implement the established disaster and emergency response legislations and strategies in dealing with the challenges identified and their way forward. The outcome of this research was contemplated to significantly assist individuals, community, the local government and other interested parties in dealing with disasters and emergencies, and enhance understanding and compliance and awareness to the disaster management and emergency response legislations and strategies urban and rural dwellers with disaster-resilient. This study deployed descriptive research design and survey to gather information about the research problem under the study. The survey provided quantitative account of views of sampled population and their attitudes, and provided chance to test correlation among population variables of the population samples in which 105 respondents were conveniently selected for this study. The study found that the majority of the population are aware the about the disasters that are likely to occur in their localities and their associated impacts both health and economic impacts, but however they are not satisfied with the strategies implemented by the government to deal with them. The study revealed that, the public officials responsible for emergency response and disaster management in Dar es Salaam are aware about the legislations and plans in dealing with disasters and emergency response but the compliance to them are below average due to various factors like resources constraints, insufficient personnel, low involvement of community, insufficient institutional coordination between emergency responders, insufficient infrastructures that affect response time to emergencies, inadequate urban land use planning and strategies and political influenced decision making. The study proposed that the government have to review and follow up implementation of developed urban land use plans base on disaster risk assessment and management reports, to intensify and provide public awareness campaigns on disaster risk management and emergency response strategies, capacity building to government officials and emergency responders on new urban development technologies and enhance their knowledge and competencies, and to review and establish a coordinated emergency response plans in major cities and establishment of early warning systems with coordinated communication systems among responders.