IN our ongoing discussions to tackle the increasingly severe effects of climate change, it is vital to guarantee that all individuals are fully represented and considered in our deliberations and solution proposals.

In this instalment, we will explore the importance of including persons with disabilities in climate change initiatives, explore the challenges and opportunities that arise, and highlight the potential impact of inclusive action on addressing climate change.

This group faces unique vulnerabilities to climate change impacts, including difficulties accessing information, evacuating during disasters, and recovering from climate-related events. Therefore, recognising and addressing these vulnerabilities is essential for ensuring their safety, well-being, and human rights.

Although it is a major concern that individuals with disabilities encounter significant hurdles, particularly during emergencies. Sadly, our communities often overlook the needs of these individuals, leaving them to fend for themselves. An illustrative instance of this neglect was evident during the cyclone Idai, where the loss of numerous lives occurred, with no documentation regarding the number of individuals with disabilities impacted.

Failing to account for individuals with disabilities, who tragically lost their lives during the emergency highlights a stark lack of preparedness and support within our community. This oversight underscores the critical need for inclusive emergency planning and providing necessary support for these vulnerable individuals.

Persons with disabilities often face unique and heightened vulnerabilities in the face of climate change impacts. Physical, sensory, cognitive, and psychosocial disabilities can affect individuals' abilities to access information, evacuate during disasters, and recover from climate-related events.

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Recognising and addressing these vulnerabilities is essential for ensuring the safety, well-being, and human rights of persons with disabilities in the context of climate change.

Meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in climate change decision-making processes is crucial. Their inclusion in policy development, planning, and implementation ensures that their voices, perspectives, and expertise are considered.

By involving persons with disabilities, their organisations, and representative networks, policymakers can develop more inclusive and effective climate change strategies that address this population's diverse needs and realities.

When managing climate change and implementing Zimbabwe's Nationally Determined

Contribution (NDC), National Adaptation Plan, and other climate-related policies and strategies, it is important to consider the unique needs of people with disabilities. Involving people with disabilities in Zimbabwe's climate change management is crucial for creating fair and sustainable responses to climate change challenges.

There are several roles that people with disabilities can take on in this regard, and these include:

Advocacy

Persons with disabilities can advocate for inclusion in climate change policies and programmes. This advocacy can take many forms, such as engaging with policymakers and stakeholders to ensure their voices are heard, and their needs are considered and participating in various national, regional and international platforms, including spaces such as the Conference of Parties (COP) sessions.

Innovation

Persons with disabilities can bring a unique perspective to climate change management by contributing innovative ideas and solutions. This could include leveraging their own experiences and challenges to develop new approaches to mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change.

Raising awareness

Persons with disabilities can help raise awareness about climate change and its impact on their communities. By sharing their experiences and knowledge, they can help others understand the challenges that persons with disabilities face and how climate change exacerbates these challenges.

Climate change programmes

Persons with disabilities can actively participate in implementing climate change programmes and projects. This could involve contributing their skills and expertise to designing and implementing programs and participating in activities such as tree planting or waste management.

Monitoring and evaluation

Persons with disabilities can participate in the monitoring and evaluating climate changecprogrammes. By providing critical feedback on the effectiveness and impact of these programmes, they can help ensure that they are meeting the needs of all members of their community, including those with disabilities.

A key spotlight issue in this article is the challenges persons with disabilities face during emergencies. Numerous obstacles and barriers exist for persons with disabilities when attempting to access emergency services, including transportation, communication, and physical accessibility. For instance, mobility limitations, sensory sensitivities, and communication barriers can impede their ability to evacuate their homes or access shelters. To effectively address these challenges, emergency services and disaster response teams must adopt inclusive approaches and tailor their efforts to the needs of persons with disabilities.

Full article on www.theindependent.co.zw

Muyambwa is a development practitioner and researcher with expertise and research interests in democracy, natural resource governance, climate change and youth participation. He has extensive experience working on climate change, economic governance and youth participation using gender-sensitive, gender-responsive and gender-transformative approaches. — fariedarlie@gmail.com.

 This entails providing accessible information, communication tools, and transportation options accommodating diverse disabilities. Emergency shelters and facilities must also have appropriate accommodations such as wheelchair ramps, accessible restrooms, and necessary medical equipment.

Furthermore, it is essential to recognise that people with disabilities are often among the most vulnerable populations during natural disasters and may require additional support and resources for post-disaster recovery.

Therefore, it is paramount to promote equal treatment and ensure all individuals' safety, irrespective of their physical, sensory, or cognitive abilities.

In summary, this spotlight issue raises awareness and advocates for strategies that improve preparedness, response, and recovery efforts specifically tailored to the needs of people with disabilities during natural disasters.

By doing so, we can foster a safer and more supportive environment, ensuring that all members of our communities can withstand and overcome the challenges posed by natural

disasters.

This includes people with access to physical infrastructure and information, and people in appropriate formats, such as sign language for deaf people and those with psychosocial,

intellectual, and sensory impairments.

This article clearly demonstrates that it is crucial to ensure the inclusion of persons with disabilities in climate change action.

Recognising and addressing the unique vulnerabilities that this group faces is essential for ensuring their safety, well-being, and human rights.

Meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in climate change decision-making processes, their involvement in policy development, and their active roles in advocacy,

innovation, awareness-raising, programme implementation, and monitoring and evaluation are all vital for creating fair and sustainable responses to climate change challenges.

By embracing inclusivity, we can develop more effective climate change strategies that address the diverse needs and realities of persons with disabilities.

  • Muyambwa is a development practitioner and researcher with expertise and research interests in democracy, natural resource governance, climate change and youth
  • participation. He has extensive experience working on climate change, economic governance and youth participation using gender-sensitive, gender-responsive and gender-
  • transformative approaches. — fariedarlie@gmail.com
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