Disability Inclusion should be prioritized at the COP27 Climate Conference
Climate change poses a threat to all of us, but not equally. Despite being at extremely high risk from the impacts of climate change, persons with disabilities were completely ignored by policymakers in the majority of countries party to the Paris Agreement. To ensure climate justice, persons with disabilities should be given higher priority at the upcoming COP27 conference.
Persons with disabilities who make up an estimated 15% of the global population, are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. According to the recent report from UN Human Rights Council, persons with disabilities are more vulnerable to the negative effects of climate change, which include threats to their health, food security, water, sanitation, and general well-being. The report urges countries to include persons with disabilities in their climate policies.
Persons with disabilities must be involved in climate action because the effects of climate change increase inequality and risk for them. For instance, they might be unable to move during severe weather conditions like flooding, which would force them to stay in deplorable environments without access to housing, employment, support networks, or medical care. Lack of climate policies and plans that are not available in various readable formats like braille and related technologies is another issue facing them. These issues are especially prevalent in many developing countries. For example, it is challenging to predict with accuracy the population of persons with disabilities affected by climate change in most countries of Africa because there are no structured guidelines and supporting technologies to collect and study data on them.
The majority of countries have neglected to include persons with disabilities in their climate policies. This is according to a recent report published in June. Sébastien Jodoin, an associate professor at McGill University in Canada and a co-author of the study, said he was extremely disappointed despite not being shocked by their findings.
"Countries haven't thought about how to
incorporate disabled people into climate plans. They have consistently received
no attention". He added.
The researchers analyzed each country's nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and domestic climate adaptation plans under
the Paris Agreement and discovered that
only 35 of the 192 countries recognize people with disabilities in their plans
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while 45 mention disability in their
national climate adaptation plans. None of the world's mitigation plans, which
address ways to reduce the risk of climate events, make any mention of people
with disabilities. Even when disability is mentioned, the authors concluded, it
is only in a "cursory manner" and lacks the rigor of actual
mechanisms to include the disability community in policymaking.
Rich nations like the
US, UK, China, and Japan did not mention this recognition in their adaptation
plans, but some countries like Germany, Spain, and South Korea did. Only a
small number of nations did both, including Zimbabwe, Mexico, and Panama.
A letter published in Science magazine, likewise, expresses concern about climate change and the
disabled community. Climate emergencies, according to the letter, may
disproportionately affect disabled people due to their inherent vulnerabilities
and lack of knowledge.
Dr. Aleksandra Kosanic, a lead author of the letter and a geographer at the University of Konstanz who has cerebral palsy, stated that there is "very little research on the topic." "This discussion about climate change and its risks needs to take the disabled population into account."
"In a climate emergency, you run a higher
risk of contracting an infectious water-borne disease if you are immobile due
to a medical condition. However, even non-extreme events, like air pollution,
can have a long-term negative impact on your health, according to Kosanic.
Inclusion was emphasized as a crucial
component of climate justice in the 2010 Cancun Agreement, which was adopted at
COP16 twelve years ago.
Persons with disabilities were identified as being disproportionately affected
by the climate crisis. Because they lack the fundamentals
needed to ensure informed and active participation in climate debate. The most recent climate conference, COP26, fell short of expectations and made no provision for persons with disabilities. For example, Israel's Minister of National
Infrastructures, Energy, and Water Resources, Karine Elharrar was reportedly forced to leave the COP26 event because it was not wheelchair accessible.
During the COP27 climate negotiations, persons with disabilities should be given priority and the opportunity to express their needs, share their perspectives, and obtain climate justice alternatives for themselves. They need fair access to educational resources and informational platforms in order to increase their comprehension and involvement in climate mainstreaming discussions at all levels.
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