Climate change today is the most significant threat of the 21st century-endangering the sustainability of the world’s environment, its agriculture and subsequently the health and well-being of its people. Focus on resilience to climate change has received considerable attention but most research considers resilience at either national or household scale whereas little is known about community-scale interventions. Questions on how community-based resilience is conceptualized and operationalized have not been adequately interrogated yet these are useful for understanding communities’ response to climate change while maintaining and developing critical community functions. The assumption is that knowledge and capacity to respond to risks must be built from outside, a situation that may not be desirable for enhancing community resilience. Several studies demonstrated that community awareness and preparedness determine the outcome of the impact of any hazards. (This study therefore offers a comprehensive analysis of the community-based resilience to climate change in Chimanimani, a district that is increasingly being at risk of climatic hazards.) Using a mixed approach, the study examines the nature and the effectiveness of community-based absorptive and adaptive capacity and the challenges facing the community. The findings will assist in strengthening community-based disaster risk management and enhance knowledge about disaster resilience.