Disability-Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction (DiDRR) and Climate Justice
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Persons with disabilities constitute 16 per cent of the world’s population; 80 per cent of persons with disabilities live in the Global South. Persons with disabilities are frequently the most affected by natural hazards, climate-induced disasters and global health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Source: 2023 Global Survey Report on Persons with Disabilities and Disasters, UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), issued 11 Oct 2023
People with disabilities are at increased risk of the adverse impacts of climate change, including threats to their health, food security, access to water energy, and sanitation, and livelihoods, particularly in developing countries.
Source: Climate change is a matter of justice – here’s why | Climate Promise (undp.org) UNDP, 30 June 2023
Two surveys conducted in 2013 and 2023 show limited progress in disability inclusion in DRR over the past 10 years, with no significant differences across the regions.
Source: UNDRR PowerPoint Presentation on Disability Inclusion in Disaster Risk Reduction (undrr.org)
Conventional views of sea level rise are way too conservative. Unfortunately, by extension of new facts, coastal cities are more vulnerable to flooding than ever before. According to Climate Central, widespread areas are likely to see storm surges on top of sea level rise reaching at least 4 feet above high tide by 2030, and 5 feet by 2050.
Source: Greenland Cascading 30 Million Tons Per Hour – CounterPunch.org
Persons with Disabilities and Disaster Risk Reduction
Analytical study on the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities in the context of climate change: Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, A/HRC/44/30, 22 April 2020.
Persons with Disabilities and the Environment, by Global Greengrants Fund
- Persons with disabilities have a right to a healthy environment and must be included in decisions about its protection.
Disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction, Note by the secretariat, United Nations ESCAP, E/ESCAP/CDR(4)/INF/4, 8 September 2015
Global Findings on Disability-Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction
Collecting Disability Disaggregated Data in Disaster Risk Reduction: Findings and Lessons Learned, published by the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Deutschland e.V. (ASB), Centre for Disability in Development (CDD), Christoffel-Blinden – Christian Blind Mission e.V. (CBM), the International Disability Alliance (IDA), and Malteser Hilfsdienst e.V. – Malteser International Europa (MI) Disability-Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction Network, in 2024.
- Note: See Bangladesh, Indonesia and Myanmar among seven countries in the full report (pdf)
Disability, displacement and disaster resilience: Ensuring the rights of persons with disabilities in situations of forced displacement and statelessness, by United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 26 January 2024
Advancing disability inclusion in local disaster risk reduction: Analysis and recommendations from the pilot implementation of the disaster resilience Scorecard for cities – Annex for the inclusion of persons with disabilities, by United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction – Office in Incheon for Northeast Asia and Global Education and Training Institute for Disaster Risk Reduction, Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030), 8 January 2024
Review of Disability-inclusive and Gender-responsive Disaster Risk Reduction in Asia and the Pacific, Background Paper for the Regional Consultation on Facilitating Innovative Action on Disability-inclusive and Gender-responsive DRR, by UNESCAP, 5-6 May 2022
Review of Disability-inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction Policy and Practice across Europe and Central Asia, by European Disability Forum, November 2021
Realizing a disability-inclusive post-2015 disaster risk reduction strategy, by UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs – Disability
- Contains numerous key links to resources, including to the:
- Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction 3WCDRR, 14-18 March 2015, Sendai, Japan;
- Sendai Frame Work 2015-2030
- Political Declaration;
- UN-DESA/DSPD Public Forum: Taking action toward a disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction framework and its implementation.
Disability-Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction | International Disability Alliance
- Includes information on:
- The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
- Inclusive Humanitarian Action and Disaster Risk Reduction | International Disability Alliance
- Situations of Risk and Humanitarian Emergencies: UN Conventions and Political Commitments | International Disability Alliance
- IASC Guidelines on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action | International Disability Alliance
- Disability Inclusive Climate Action | International Disability Alliance
- Reference Group on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action | International Disability Alliance
Global Action on Disability Rights and Climate Justice
Celebrating One Year of the Disability Rights and Climate Justice Board by Yolanda Muñoz, Disability Rights and Climate Justice Board Coordinator at Global Greengrants Fund, 7 September 2023
Food sovereignty for persons with disabilities in Sinduadi, Indonesia, by Marianne Menut, Disability Rights and Climate Justice Board Learning Coordinator at Global Greengrants Fund, 5 February 2024
Statement by IDA and IDDC as COP26 takes place | International Disability Alliance, 31 October 2021
Climate change is our crisis too! | International Disability Alliance, 27 October 2021
Towards COP26: Enhancing Disability Inclusion in Climate Action by the Disability-Inclusive Climate Action Research Programme, Center for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism, McGill University, Canada, 2021
Towards COP26: Enhancing Disability Inclusion in Climate Action Advocacy Paper.docx (internationaldisabilityalliance.org)
Toolkits and Guidelines
UNDRR internal policy on disability accessibility and inclusion, by United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, 29 January 2024
Disability Equity During Disasters, by National Council of Independent Living, USA, August 2021
- A Toolkit for Passing the Real Emergency Access for Aging and Disability Inclusion (REAADI) for Disasters Act and the Disaster Relief Medicaid Act (DRMA)
- Available in pdf, Word, plain text, and audio.
Understanding the Role of the Independent Living Network Before, During and After a Disaster, under Independent Living Programs FAQs, issued by the Administration for Community Living, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), January 2024
Disability inclusive disaster risk reduction (DIDRR) framework and toolkit. A report produced as part of the disability inclusive and disaster resilient Queensland project series, by The Centre for Disability Research and Policy, University of Sydney, 3 December 2019
Video Resources
The Harm of Japan’s Eugenic Law 7 December 2024
Greenland: Ice Loss Accelerating [YouTube], 8 March 2024, with Paul Beckwith and Peter Wadhams, hosted by Dale Walkonen, The Facing Future.tv
Social Inclusion in Climate Change: Future Roadmap in Southeast Asia, 22 February 2024, side event held by the ASEAN Disability Forum on the side lines of the 11th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development 2024.
Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction – Social Cause Video [YouTube], Explainer Video, Tamil Nadu, India, 7 November 2016.
UNDRR Videos
Empowering women with disabilities: Meet the 2023 WIN DRR Rising Star Award Winner Abia Akram [YouTube], UNDRR, 13 October 2023
- Women with disabilities are often overlooked in disaster risk management. Abia Akram set up the National Forum of Women with Disabilities in 2009 and has been advocating for the rights of women with disabilities for over 25 years.
This person with disability protected his community from a tsunami [YouTube]
- Story of Wowok (Deaf person), Palam Village, Banggai Island, Indonesia, 2 November 2023
Inclusion saves lives: DiDRR Network Philippines [YouTube], UNDRR, 12 October 2023
5 ways countries can support the inclusion of persons with disability in DRR [YouTube], UNDRR, 12 October 2023
Disability inclusive disaster risk reduction – still a tick marking exercise? [YouTube], UNDRR, 16 February 2022
What makes people vulnerable to disasters? [YouTube], UNDRR, 1 September 2020
CBM Australia Videos
People with disabilities and the climate crisis [YouTube], CBM Australia, 31 October 2023
- On the climate crisis — voices of persons with disabilities in Fiji and Indonesia.
The Importance of Disability Inclusive Disaster Preparedness – Asia [YouTube], CBM IAG, 10 June 2022
- An animated video focusing on Asia and showing the importance of lessons learned — including persons with disabilities in disaster preparedness planning.
The Importance of Disability Inclusive Disaster Preparedness – Pacific [YouTube], CBM Australia, 23 March 2022.
- An animated video focusing on the Pacific and showing the importance of including persons with disabilities in disaster preparedness planning.
Our Lessons – Evacuation Centres – Disability-inclusive Disaster Preparedness [YouTube], CBM Australia, 3 June 2022
- An approach to disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction from consultations with persons with disabilities in Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu (in alphabetical order of country name, not as per sequence in the video).
Our Lessons – Inclusive Communication – Disability-inclusive Disaster Preparedness [YouTube], CBM Australia, 3 June 2022
- An approach to disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction from consultations with persons with disabilities in Nepal, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines (in alphabetical order of country name, not as per sequence in the video).
Our Lessons – Pacific – Disability-inclusive Disaster Preparedness [YouTube], CBM Australia, 3 June 2022
- An approach to disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction from consultations with persons with disabilities in Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu
Our Lessons – Asia – Disability-inclusive Disaster Preparedness [YouTube], CBM Australia, 3 June 2022
- An approach to disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction from consultations with persons with disabilities in Bangladesh, Nepal and the Philippines.
Our Lessons Webinar – 31 Mar 2022 [YouTube], CBM Australia, 8 April 2022
- On Thursday, 31 March 2022, CBM Global Disability Inclusion, the Pacific Disability Forum, and the International Disability Alliance hosted a webinar on its then-latest project on disability-inclusive disaster preparedness. This project involved consulting with over 500 persons with disabilities in Asia and the Pacific about their experiences of disasters. Includes Auslan and International Sign interpreting.
Our Lessons from Disability-Inclusive Disaster Preparedness Plan [International Sign Language version] [YouTube], CBM Australia, 31 March 2022
- An approach to disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction from consultations with persons with disabilities in Nepal, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Vanuatu.