Tanzania is turning to satellite technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to strengthen its ability to detect disaster risks early and deploy emergency resources before floods and other hazards cause widespread damage.
The move could give authorities better information on vulnerable areas, water levels and the likely scale of disasters, potentially improving preparedness in communities where floods regularly disrupt transport, damage infrastructure and threaten livelihoods.
Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office (Policy, Parliament, Coordination and Persons with Disabilities), Dr Jim Yonazi, said the government was exploring ways to expand the use of satellite data and AI in disaster risk management.
Dr Yonazi spoke on September 28, 2026, during a working visit to Ankara, Türkiye, where he toured Turksat, the country’s satellite communications operator.
The visit was intended to help Tanzania strengthen technical capacity and institutional systems for disaster preparedness, emergency response and recovery.
“Satellite technology can help identify water levels in rivers and areas exposed to risks, as well as assess the extent of possible impacts,” Dr Yonazi said.
The information, he said, would allow the government to determine in advance the resources required to prevent or reduce the effects of disasters, including equipment and response teams.
The shift is significant because effective disaster management increasingly depends on what authorities know before an emergency occurs, rather than simply how quickly they can respond after it strikes.
For flood-prone communities, earlier information could help authorities identify areas requiring evacuation, protect critical infrastructure and position emergency equipment and personnel closer to locations likely to be affected.
Dr Yonazi said Tanzania viewed disaster management as a national responsibility requiring capacity across the country.
He said the focus should extend beyond rescuing people after disasters to building systems capable of identifying risks, preparing communities and reducing potential losses.
“This is not only about having the capacity to rescue people when disasters occur, but ensuring disaster management becomes part of national security,” he said.
During his visit, Dr Yonazi examined how Turksat uses satellites and communications technology to maintain connectivity, including when conventional infrastructure is unavailable or damaged.
Turksat, owned by Türkiye’s government investment fund, is the country’s sole satellite communications operator and provides satellite, data, internet and communications services to public and private institutions.
Turksat Satellite Services and Sales Director Fuat Eroglu said the company operates six satellites, providing services covering satellite communications, television and radio broadcasting, internet data and information technology systems supporting e-government.
The technology also has an emergency role.
Mr Eroglu said Turksat provides satellite-based equipment that can restore internet, television and radio services during disasters when mobile phone towers and fibre-optic networks are damaged.
“Turksat provides secure communications infrastructure for strategic sectors such as public security, the military, maritime transport, aviation and communications systems during natural disasters or emergencies,” he said.
For Tanzania, the lesson extends beyond predicting floods.
A disaster can quickly cut off the very communication systems needed to coordinate rescue operations. Satellite links can provide an alternative channel when mobile networks, electricity infrastructure or fibre-optic connections are disrupted.
The government’s interest in satellite and AI technology therefore points to a broader effort to move Tanzania's disaster management system towards anticipation, preparedness and rapid recovery, rather than relying mainly on response after communities have already been affected.