By A Correspondent – Chipinge, Zimbabwe – Heavy rains over the past two weeks have unleashed devastating floods in Chipinge District, with Ward 28 bearing the brunt of the disaster.

One person tragically lost their life, while homes, roads, and community infrastructure sustained extensive damage.

On 25 January, the swelling of the Save River heightened fears of further flooding, with residents reporting rising water levels that threatened to spill into surrounding villages.

Local authorities and community leaders have warned that the situation remains precarious as rains continue across Manicaland Province.

Blessing Matasva of the Green Institute Zimbabwe emphasized the urgent need for proactive disaster risk reduction (DRR).

Speaking on behalf of the Climate Coalition of Zimbabwe (CCZ), Matasva said:

“We cannot continue to rely on reactive relief when disasters strike. Zimbabwe must finalize the Disaster Risk Management and Civil Protection Bill to transition toward proactive, community-led resilience.

This is about empowering communities to prepare, not just respond.”

The Climate Coalition of Zimbabwe outlined a comprehensive approach to building resilience against climate-related disasters, including urgent replacement of the outdated 1989 Civil Protection Act with a robust Disaster Risk Management Bill to strengthen climate resilience.

The coalition also called for harnessing the creativity of Zimbabwe’s youth, who make up over 60% of the population, to design innovative and sustainable disaster risk reduction solutions.

It further emphasized the importance of integrating Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) with scientific early warning systems to improve local preparedness, while ensuring women, youth, and people with disabilities are included in disaster management structures for equitable response and recovery.

On food security and mitigation, the CCZ urged the promotion of agro-ecology and alignment with the Malabo Declaration to build climate-resilient agriculture, reducing vulnerability to both droughts and floods.

The CCZ underscored that investing in disaster resilience is more sustainable than funding emergency responses, especially as Zimbabwe faces increasingly frequent and high-impact climate disasters.

As Chipinge mourns its loss and begins rebuilding, the floods serve as a stark reminder of the urgent need for systemic change. Communities, policymakers, and civil society are being called upon to champion resilience, ensuring that tragedies like Ward 28’s loss are not repeated.