Decide Nhendo
Chiredzi District Development Coordinator (DDC) has called for Chiredzi communities to construct houses and infrastructure that are either climate proof or climate sensitive after the windy storms of October 20 and 22 left a trail of destruction of properties in urban and rural locations leaving some families homeless.
DDC Lovemore Chisema said that as a long term measure to cope up with the complicated weather conditions being imposed by climate change, people have to build houses that are climate sensitive that cannot be easily destroyed by wind or heavy rains so that they have safe shelter especially during the rainy season.
“As climate change is real, communities must construct houses that are either climate proof or climate sensitive as a long term measure so that even when heavy rains or harsh winds come up, families will not be left without shelter,” said Chisema.
The hailstorm which took place on October 20, swept away roof tops at several houses, with Ward 8 Chiredzi town being the most affected.
12 houses had their roofs partly or completely blown off and in Chiredzi Rural District Council ward 25, 12 households were affected; ward 26, seven houses were affected and ward 29, 112 homesteads were either partly or severely damaged.
On October 22, a windy storm affected 14 households of which four households had their houses destroyed and in all destructions only two people were injured and no deaths were recorded.
Appealing for assistance to help the victims of the windy storm, Chisema said climate change is real and is bringing along sophisticated weather conditions evidenced by the trail of destructions left within the whole country.
“Meanwhile as we are saddened by these destructions which have left some families without safe shelter, we continue to appeal for assistance from all those who are willing to give a hand to those affected in order to assist the affected families,” said Chisema.
