The role of spatial planning in strengthening human settlement resilience to natural disasters in Chimanimani District, Zimbabwe

The effectiveness of spatial planning in guiding human settlements has come under increasing scrutiny with the increasing occurrence and severity of climate-induced disasters. This study interrogates the role of spatial planning in promoting resilient settlements in rural service centres, often overlooked in favour of large cities and towns. Our study adopted mixed methods research and collected quantitative data using questionnaires from households and qualitative using detailed semi-structured interview guides from key informants from Chimanimani District and national government departments/agencies. Findings show that spatial planning responses to climate change impacts are negatively affected by institutional capacity gaps within the Chimanimani Rural District Council and the District Development Coordinator’s office to plan and implement resilience strategies. District institutions are stifled by direct planning and implementation of projects by the national government which bypasses, duplicates and denies district stakeholders the opportunity to learn and develop capacity. The rigid spatial planning standards, the flouting of planning guidelines, the parcelling of land by traditional leadership, and political interference contributed to poor district spatial planning for resilient human settlements. We recommend a framework for spatial planning for resilience that taps local and scientific knowledge to evolve strategies, through decentralised institutions, to enforce environmentally sensitive standards.