Land Use Planning for Climate Change Adaptation in Secondary Cities: Insights from Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe

Climate change is no longer a myth but a reality that requires urgent mitigation and adaptation strategies to curtail its devastating impacts. In urban areas, land use planning plays a critical role in shaping the future of towns and cities, and the same applies with regard to integrating climate change strategies to create inclusive, sustainable, safe, and resilient secondary cities. This study examines the challenges confronting the employment of land use planning strategies aimed at promoting adaptation to climate change in secondary cities in Africa. Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe, is used as a case study. Primary and secondary data sources inform this study, where data was collected through the review of policy documents and interviews with key informants. The study reveals that land use planning in Chinhoyi has yet to integrate climate change adaptation, as is evident from the sprawling of the town. The land use planning process fails to acknowledge the realities of climate change, as is evident from the lack of institutionalisation of climate issues at the local level. We conclude that the existing disconnect between land use planning and climate change adaptation largely emanates from lack of skills, technology, funds, and personnel in the milieu of limited understanding of climate change.