Inclusive climate actions must involve people with disabilities in planning, implementation, and evaluation processes to ensure their voices are heard
“Despite my lack of functional arms, during the Seroja storm, I was still able to use my legs to run. I am unaware of the fate of my disabled peers, specifically those who rely on wheelchairs and crutches… We must possess the capability to endure in such a vulnerable situation”.
When you hear first-person accounts from the disabled during weather disasters, like this one from Cyclone Seroja which struck Indonesia’s Nusa Tenggara Timur province in 2021, it magnifies the challenges—and vulnerabilities—of the disabled in extreme climate events.
Disabled people in Indonesia, who often live below the national poverty line, are disproportionately affected during a disaster. Data shows they suffer up to four times more than the general population. A 2023 Global Survey on people with disabilities and disaster indicates that 84 per cent did not have a personal preparedness plan for disasters. Even with an adequate evacuation warning, only 39 per cent had no difficulties in evacuating while 38 per cent had some difficulties in evacuating, 17 per cent faced many difficulties in evacuating, and 6 per cent couldn’t evacuate at all.
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Indonesia’s challenge
With its 76 active volcanoes and 17,000-plus islands, Indonesia faces significant financial and physical challenges in disaster management and mitigation. Working closely with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Indonesia now has an Integration of Protection, Gender and Inclusivity (PGI) in Anticipatory Action plan. This aims to accelerate the collection and use of gender, age and disability-aggregated data within a combined information system for disaster-responsive social protection.
However, the plan is not easily implemented. Cyclone Seroja killed 181, left 47 missing and 225 injured. In addition, 58,914 people were displaced, and thousands of homes destroyed.
On the other island, the coastal city of Makassar is also prone to climate-related hazards such as floods in the rainy season and lack of clean water in the dry season. The island of Lombok, in Nusa Tenggara Barat province, is affected by sea level rise and the El Niño effect, contributing to crop failure. Sea level rise has put the island at high risk, with medium flood hazards affecting 49 per cent and high flood hazards affecting 24 per cent of the area.
During disasters, death tolls often include people with disabilities. Lack of awareness from, and limited access to, information on disaster information leaves people with disabilities at a significant disadvantage in preparing for and responding to climate-related disasters.
Lack of information
In East Nusa Tenggara province, there were 30,400 people living with disabilities who were impacted by the Seroja storm. However, they were not aware of the cyclone because of a lack of accessible information. One hearing-impaired person said they were unaware of the cyclone due to their inability to hear warning signals. They only became aware of its severity when they woke up to fallen trees and damaged houses.
Inclusive climate action plans must involve the participation of people with disabilities in planning, implementation, and evaluation processes to ensure their voices are heard. It is crucial to provide people with disabilities with accessible information on climate change adaptation, mitigation and resilience strategies. Another hearing-impaired participant said that adjusting the information format and using simple language, visual aids and sign language could ensure accessibility and effective comprehension.
Prioritising inclusive climate action plans and considering the specific needs of people with disabilities can enhance their preparedness, support their recovery and minimise their vulnerability to climate-induced risks.
The absence of comprehensive social protection and welfare support intensifies the impact on people with disabilities. They face challenges in accessing relief and recovering from climate-related disasters due to stigma and lack of social security protection. One person with visual impairment shared their experience of not receiving government assistance after the Seroja Cyclone disaster in Kupang.
“No, there was no aid from the government,” they said. “Only our friends from the local NGO provided help to some visually impaired individuals whose roofs were damaged. They provided corrugated iron roof sheets, wood and building materials.”