Climate Change
“There is no doubt in our minds that people with disabilities, who are the poorest of the poor, are the most vulnerable when it comes to climate change.”
Savina Nongebatu has lived with a disability - using a wheelchair - for over ten years. An active part of her community, Savina is head of a local organisation working to achieve rights for people with disabilities who often live in poverty. But there is one challenge which Savina sees as tougher than most – climate change.
Studies indicate that in the past 20 years, weather related disasters in Asia- Pacific have increased fourfold. This, coupled with rising sea levels, means that the Pacific nation of the Solomon Islands is one of the most vulnerable to unpredictable weather patterns and increase in natural disasters.
When natural disaster strikes, time and mobility are crucial. You need to be able to move – and quickly – to reach higher ground and find shelter. During an extreme weather event the risk of injury is high for everyone, but is higher for people with disabilities.
“A sad fact is most people with a mobility disability find it difficult to move around at all. If they are children they might be carried around on the backs of their parents, but as they grow older they get he avier, they get left behind.” SAVINA NONGEBATU
The impact of a natural disaster does not end when blue skies return – the whole community needs to rebuild and recover. There may be long-term impacts such as disease and limited access to safe water, food and shelter. While everyone must deal with these challenges, for people living with disabilities, every stage of a natural disaster - from initial impact to recovery - is more difficult.
George Tapo lives with a physical disability, and has represented the Solomon Islands at the
Paralympics in Beijing in table tennis, javelin and shot-put. Despite his great personal achievements,
George feels frustrated about the reality for many people in his country living with disabilities that are caught in the cycle of disability and poverty.
“Climate Change… affects persons with disability in terms of disasters. Here in
Solomon Islands there is mainly flooding, cyclones, and tsunamis. Persons with a disability living in rural areas on the coast line are especially in danger…They are the most vulnerable.” GEORGE TAPO
For people living in poverty, having everything you own washed away in a flash flood can condemn you, your family and your whole community to live in a cycle of poverty that is hard to escape. For people living with disabilities who are the most vulnerable, these impacts are even more serious.
Disaster preparedness needs to include people living with disabilities as a key focus in planning. Specific training for people with disabilities, who face even

Climate Change more challenges when disaster strikes, is essential. The entire community can be educated on how they can support everyone in disaster response and recovery.
Many communities in developing countries organise disaster preparedness training, which develops people’s skills in how to respond when an extreme weather event strikes.
Disaster preparedness training includes:
• Learning how to find out if extreme weather is approaching.
• Learning how to protect your possessions and home, and where to take refuge.
• Learning ways to communicate with the people around you about life-saving information in an emergency.
These programs are proving very successful; however people with disabilities are often excluded from the development of disaster response plans, leaving them even more vulnerable.
“I’ve seen a lot of writings in the papers about disaster preparedness …and awareness programs in the villages but I don’t think people with disabilities are involved in those programs or getting themselves prepared.” GEORGE TAPO
Without addressing the challenges faced by people with disabilities in developing countries, we are missing the opportunity to make real and lasting improvements for some of the world’s most marginalised people, who are consistently denied their basic human rights. This is why inclusion, across all development sectors, is important.
Empowering people with disabilities so they can receive a worthwhile education, access health services, learn how to respond to and recover from emergency situations, and participate fully in society is essential to end the cycle of poverty and disability.
This is why inclusion, across all development sectors, is important. Empowering people with disabilities so they can receive a worthwhile education, access health services, learn how to respond to and recover from emergency situations, and participate fully in society is essential to end the cycle of poverty and disability.
While the problems surrounding poverty can feel overwhelming – we know we already have part of the answer. END THE CYCLE works to promote the human rights and empowerment of people living with disabilities in poverty around the world. With your voice and the spirit of people like Savina and
George – we can end the cycle.
• People with a disability are the world’s largest minority, making up 10% of the world’s population.
• There have been four times as many severe weather events in the past 20 years, compared with the previous 20

Climate Change years.
• 8 out of every 10 people with a disability live in a developing country.
• Climate change is increasing the vulnerability of people with disabilities caught up in extreme weather events.
• 20% of the world’s poorest people have a disability.
People with disabilities often live in the most vulnerable areas yet may be the least able to move to safer areas when disaster strikes.
REFERENCES: 1. World Bank www.worldbank.org/disability. 2. Oxfam www.oxfam.org.au