MARTIN MAWAYA
The Gweru Civil Protection Unit (CPU) has intensified its climate resilience campaign through capacity-building workshops aimed at strengthening disaster preparedness and community safety in the face of changing weather patterns.
The training sessions, which began in Senga last Friday, moved to the Mtapa cluster covering Ascot, Clifton Park and Mambo suburbs.
The programme coordinated by the District Development Coordinator’s office is expected to cascade into Mkoba this week, bringing together ward representatives from across the Mkoba North and South constituencies.
The initiative, run in partnership with World Vision, Red Cross and the Gweru City Council, seeks to build disaster-resilient communities by equipping residents with knowledge and practical skills to respond to climate-induced hazards.
CPU committee representative, Cornillia Selipiwe, said the workshops were designed to close gaps in community readiness and ensure that residents are not caught unprepared when disasters strike.
“We need to create communities that are resilient to disasters. This means training people on preparedness and sharing information on how to react when hazards such as floods or storms occur,” he said.
Selipiwe noted that the meetings had identified some gaps that require greater collaboration between residents and local authorities.
“What is needed are concerted efforts, all hands on deck to address risk factors before disasters occur, and coordinated action when they do strike,” he added.
One of the key resolutions from the Senga meeting was the development of ward-level disaster risk management plans and the scaling up of awareness campaigns across the city.
Selipiwe who is also Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association executive director, highlighted the need for convergence of ideas between communities and duty bearers in local authorities.
He stressed that poor waste management and blocked storm drains remained the biggest drivers of flash floods in Gweru.
“We have observed that flash floods are worsened by lack of maintenance of manholes and drainage systems. In some cases, failure by councils to collect refuse leads residents to dump garbage in undesignated areas, clogging storm drains. Ultimately, it is the community that bears the brunt through outbreaks of disease and flooding,” he explained.
The programme is part of broader efforts by the CPU to align local disaster risk reduction strategies with national climate change adaptation frameworks, ensuring that Gweru builds resilience against the increasing threat of extreme weather events.
Gweru has in recent years recorded recurrent flash floods, leaving infrastructure damaged.
Climate expert Peter Makwanya said such disasters are expected to intensify, exerting more pressure on urban councils already struggling with poor service delivery and limited resources.
