Climate Crisis and Environment

International News

Advancing disability-inclusive climate research and action climate justice, and climate-resilient development. (Apr, The Lancet Planetary Health)

Avenues for disability inclusion in climate and biodiversity action. A review of international policy frameworks:

“The analysis shows that transformative changes can be enacted through four leverage points: strengthening the institutional presence of organisations of persons with disabilities in the negotiations; mainstreaming disability inclusion as a human rights issue; developing mechanisms for disability inclusion and creating systems of accountability; and integrating disability inclusion into national plans guiding climate and biodiversity action.” (Mar, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Finland)

Disability Inclusion in Climate Finance A Background Paper For The Disability Inclusion Approach For Climate Investment Funds. (Feb, Climate Investment Funds)

What I've learned in conversation Debrief feature on conversations weaving together disability and climate justice. (Feb, Disability Debrief)

“I'd fight like hell for you”: Debrief interview with Julia Watts Belser, on not giving up on each other in the climate crisis (Feb, Disability Debrief)

Promoting Disability-Inclusive Climate Action through Litigation “HPOD and Allies Urge Inter-American Court on Human Rights to Take Notice of Evolving International Standards” (Jan, HPOD)

Pathways towards sustainable and just futures with and for disabled populations: a leverage points perspective.

“In this paper, we suggest that addressing ‘deep’ leverage points by 1) recognising diverse valuations of and connections to nature by different social groups (i.e. re-connecting to nature), 2) including disabled populations in decision-making and knowledge creation (i.e. re-structuring institutions), and 3) promoting inclusive education and knowledge generation (i.e. re-thinking knowledge production) can facilitate the development of inclusive transformation pathways and foster sustainable human-nature relationships.” (2023, Ecosystems and People)

Making the green transition inclusive for persons with disabilities. (2023, ILO Global Business and Disability Network)

CBM Global Climate Advocacy Roadmap (2023, CBM Global)

Disability and climate justice interview with the Debrief's own Áine Kelly-Costello. (2023, Down to the Struts) See also an interview with system change not climate change.

The weight of the issue: Debrief feature on showing up disabled in the climate movement:

“Do we put our time into making those spaces more accessible? Do we focus on taking the knowledge that we gain in organising for climate justice back to our own communities? Sometimes it's all too much and we try to assimilate by minimising the disabled parts of ourselves.” (2023, Disability Debrief)

5 reasons why affordable and accessible public transport is crucial for social and climate justice (2023, Greenpeace)

Celebrating One Year of the Disability Rights and Climate Justice Board. (2023, Global Greengrants Fund)

Beyond Vulnerability: The Rights and Agency of People with Disabilities in the Climate Crisis. A series of blog posts exploring different dimensions of the climate crisis and disability. (2023, Bill of Health)

Climate Change and Disability the Debrief's resource guide and original reporting. (2023, Disability Debrief)

Connecting disability to the climate beat tips from the Debrief's own Áine Kelly-Costello. (2023, Unbias the News)

Society Leaves Disabled Communities Sweltering As temperatures break records across the globe, disabled people face unique risks and challenges. (2023, Atmos)

Discussion on the rights of persons with disabilities in the context of climate change (2023, OHCHR)

Examining the Climate Change-Migration Nexus from a Disability Lens (2023, Bill of Health)

Climate Migration and Disability Part 1: What we Know (2023, Sustain Our Abilities)

Climate and Disability Activism: Bridging two important worlds Discussion with the Debrief's own Áine Kelly-Costello (2023, The Martyn Sibley Show)

Climate change and persons with albinism report on the particular impacts and human rights impacts. See also a short video summarising the issues. (2023, Independent Expert on rights of persons with albinism.)

Rights of older persons in climate change-induced disasters and how to build forward more equally. (2023, Independent Expert on enjoyment of all human rights by older persons)

Discussion paper on climate change and disability rights. A study in Bangladesh, Kenya and Nepal. “Lack of transparency of government budgets both centrally and decentralised across different ministries makes it difficult to understand where money is being spent and potentially being re-allocated during times of climate crisis.” See also videos from Malawi and Zimbabwe. (2023, CBM UK)

Enabling Commons Thoughtful conversations hosted by the Debrief's own Áine Kelly-Costello: “This podcast is a space for dialogue among persons with disabilities to explore strategies that will transform our environments, our commons, to be meaningfully enabling for all.” (2023, DICARP)

Debrief Feature: A just transition for disabled people. A disability lens on greening economies and society (2023, Disability Debrief)

Where disability and climate meet. Debrief feature exploring disabled wisdom and an invitation to community. (2023, Disability Debrief)

Nothing about us without us: The urgent need for disability-inclusive climate research. (2023, Plos Climate)

Missing in Climate Action Stories of persons with disabilities from the Global South combined with exploration of ableism and environmental justice. (2023)

Global Impact of Climate Change on Persons with Albinism: A Human Rights Issue. (2023, Journal of Climate Change and Health)

The role of the scientific community in strengthening disability-inclusive climate resilience. “We discuss how the scientific community could advance and hasten the development of disability-inclusive climate resilience, and which areas should be prioritized.” (2023, Nature Climate Change) See also a blog summarising the comment (HPOD).

Persons with Disabilities and Climate Change a collection of articles. (2023, Bezev)

Why Assistive Technology matters thematic briefs explore its relations to inclusive education and climate action. (2023, ATScale)

Illegalized Bodies: Addressing Disabled Vulnerabilities and Adaptation to Climate Change based on case studies from the US and Philippines. (2022, Towson University Journal of International Affairs)

An issue on Mental Health & Climate Justice including research on women with psychosocial disabilities in intersecting disasters and climate change. (2022, Mariwala Health Initiative Journal)

A policy brief on realizing disability rights through a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies (2022, ILO)

How climate change affects mental health highlighting dimensions of concern. (2022, Wellcome)

Leave No One Behind a report on people with disabilities and older people in climate-related disasters. An overview of recent evidence and experiences directly from disabled people themselves. (2022, Human Rights Watch)

Some good news for persons with disabilities from COP27. (2022, IDA)

A status report updating the review of Disability Rights in National Climate Policies. (Link to PDF, 2022, IDA)

The CRPD and Climate Action. Links between the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Climate Change. (2022, Gerard Quinn)

Global Disability Justice In Climate Disasters: Mobilizing People With Disabilities As Change Agents (2022, Health Affairs)

Climate policy and activism need to make space for disabled people. (2022, BMJ)

Cripping Climate Activism piece with beautiful illustrations on advocating at the intersections of disability, gender and climate. (2022, Women Enabled International)

Climate change disasters are a disability rights issue. (2022, Yahoo)

Interview with Pauline Castres on importance of climate policy, justice and activism for people with disabilities. (2022, WID)

The Barriers and Enablers of persons with disabilities as climate change agents. Based on research in Bangladesh and Madagascar:

“Persons with disabilities have knowledge and ideas which stem from their every-day life experiences dealing with risk and social and structural barriers creating problem-solving skills invaluable in the fight against climate change. Furthermore, persons with disabilities are clearly highly impacted by climate change and have experiences and perspectives which may contribute valuable insight in mainstream climate discourses.” (2022, LUP Student Papers)

Heatwaves worsen mental health conditions (2022, the Conversation)

Disability Debrief feature: Disability in the Heat Why authorities need to prioritise people at highest risk as temperatures rise (2022, Disability Debrief)

A briefing note for the Bonn Climate Conference 2022 on integrating human rights to climate action. (2022, Human Rights and Climate Change Working Group)

Report on Disability Inclusion in National Climate Commitments and Policies The 2015 Paris Agreement calls on countries to outline the measures they will take to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change. Fewer than one in four countries make references to persons with disabilities in these plans, and where they do, it is often cursory. (2022, IDA and McGill) See also coverage on the Guardian.

Climate and sport: Paralympic champion Tatyana McFadden explains the link. (2022, UN)

See previously on the Debrief, Responses to climate change leaving disabled people behind on the IPCC report and recent floods in Australia. (2022, Disability Debrief)

The Sangyan's posts on climate change include reflections on Climate Change, Disability, and the Capability Approach and the displacement of people with disabilities as climate refugees. (2022, Sangyan)

The IPCC Sixth Assessment Report Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. "Across sectors and regions the most vulnerable people and systems are observed to be disproportionately affected. " Recommends that inclusive governance address vulnerabilities and inequalities related to disability. (2022, IPCC)

The missing conversation about disabled leadership in climate justice. "Disabled people are expert adapters – we spend our lives figuring out how to live and thrive in a world which was not designed for us." (2022, Stuff)

On the IPCC report: Scant mention of disabled community, despite higher risk of climate change impact. (2022, Stuff)

A feature exploring the link between disability and sustainability particularly from the view of the private sector. (2022, Valuable 500)

A policy paper on Locating disability inclusion in action on climate change with advice targeted to the UK government to make their climate action disability-inclusive. (2022, CBM UK)

What I wish non-disabled people understood about disability and plastic. An illustrated coming showing “disabled people often suffer most from plastic pollution, but many also rely on plastic products for health, independence and dignity.” (2022, Greenpeace)

Policy Brief on the decade of healthy ageing in a climate-changing world (2022, Decade of Healthy Ageing)

Cop26: Take stock, regroup and keep disability inclusion on the table for climate action "let's do better together". (2022, Bond)

Resource Page on Connections Between Climate Change and Disability (2022, Disability & Philanthropy Forum)

A discussion exploring Climate Change, Environmental Activism, and Disability (2022, SSIR)

Environmental Justice inclusive of disability animated videos telling the story through a character called Sofía. (in Spanish, 2022, ONG Inclusiva) Also available with English subtitles.

Environmental Justice and Disability with Pauline Castres - YouTube a nice conversation covering key issues and reflecting on COP. (2021, Judy Heumann)

Disability and Climate Justice an overview of the current situation and recommendations to take forward (link to pdf, 2021, Open Society Foundations)

What is Climate resilient inclusive design and why do we need it? Global Disability Innovation Hub at COP26 (2021, GDI)

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Asia-Pacific

People with disabilities and the climate crisis short video from disabled people across the region. (2023, CBM Australia)

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Burundi

Driving change for a resilient future: national dialogue paves way for disability-inclusive climate action. (2023, World Council of Churches)

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Ethiopia

The invisible children in climate crisis. “As drought worsens in the Horn of Africa, children with a disability bear the heaviest burden” (2023, UNICEF)

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Kenya

Include persons with disability in climate action plans (2022, The Standard)

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Madagascar

Climate Change and its Humanitarian Consequences: the impact on persons with disabilities in Southern Madagascar. (2022, CBM Global)

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Nigeria

Narrative Change Around Disability & Climate Change: Insights and Recommendations from Stakeholders and Community Members in the Niger Delta (2023)

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Rwanda

‘I Am Left With Nothing’ Rwandans with Disabilities are Disproportionately Impacted by Flooding From Climate Change. (2023)

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South Africa

Load shedding life-threatening to people with disabilities. (2022, Rolling Inspiration)

How load shedding impacts people living with disabilities (2022)

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Bangladesh

Displacement in Bangladesh behind the scenes videos from reporting on disability and climate change. (2023, Lens 15)

Disability-Inclusive Climate Action in Bangladesh: gaps and challenges. (2023, Bill of Health)

Protect People Most At Risk During Monsoon Season International Funding Needed to Ensure Climate Action is Inclusive of People with Disabilities, Older People. “Everyone interviewed said the flooding significantly affected their mental health, with many describing extreme fear, anxiety, and distress, but none had access to psychosocial services.” (2023, Human Rights Watch)

Lessons from the Historic 2022 Flooding In Bangladesh. (2022, HPOD)

Data & evidence missing on the impact of climate change on persons with disabilities. “No data on how persons with disabilities have been affected by the flooding, persons with disabilities are scattered in this area and even getting cash support to these persons takes a bit of time. There are not so many OPDs to support them either.” (2022, CBM Global)

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India

Climate Change Is A Double Blow For People With Disabilities (2022, Health Policy Watch)

Interview with Alice Abraham, a young woman from Kerala “regarding the impact of climate change on her life and her disability.” (2022, The Sangyan)

An ICT4 Inclusion Challenge on mitigating the impact of climate change on people with disabilities (2022, ICT 4 Inclusion Challenge)

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Maldives

Maldives Above the Surface The sea is rising, but no clear plan for people with disabilities. Behind the scenes on reporting. (2023, Lens15)

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Nepal

Intersectionality, Indigeneity, and Disability Climate Justice an article exploring evidence and policy frameworks. (Feb, Bill of Health)

A case study on Nepal’s changing climate and its impact on communities including persons with disabilities “I have never seen anything
like that in my whole life. The whole earth was shaking. Other people went
uphill as the flood started to rise. Later, I went up with the support of my
son-in-law too. I came here looking for better access to the market and
other facilities. But I lost everything. I am an old man with a physical
disability, it is very difficult for me now” (2022, CBM Global)

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South Korea

Assessing heatwave effects on disabled persons. “Our findings emphasize the substantial influence of disability as a key factor in exacerbating heatwave risks” (Feb, Scientific Reports)

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Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Copes With Climate Change After decades of instability, people with disabilities confront another man made disaster. Behind the scenes on reporting. (2023, Len15)

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Uzbekistan

Climate change highlights the need for disability-inclusive adaptation (2023, World Bank)

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Europe

Heatwaves Disastrous for Older People, People with Disabilities. (2022, Human Rights Watch)

Joint Statement on the Social Climate Fund the fund “must be a transformative instrument tackling structural injustices” (2022, EDF)

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Ireland

Climate action must be inclusive, say disability campaigners. (2023, RTE)

Climate actions must not undermine rights of people with disabilities, committee warned. (2023, The Irish Times)

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Spain

Another Hot Summer for People with Disabilities Authorities Should Reduce Emissions, Adapt to Climate Change (2023, Human Rights Watch)

Inadequate Response to Heatwaves Support People with Disabilities at Risk to Climate Change – study of 2022 heatwaves in Andalusia. (2023, Human Rights Watch)

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United Kingdom

No climate action without us a toolkit on “how to make disabled people’s access to live events environmentally sustainable. ” (Feb, Attitude is Everything)

Disabled people and the environmental crises How Disabled people want charities and government to respond to the climate and nature crises. (2023, NPC)

How is sign language adapting to climate change? 200 environmental science terms that have their own new official signs in British Sign Language (BSL). (2023, BBC)

Briefing for charities and funders on how the climate and nature crises impact older and disabled people (2023, NPC)

Disabled people are being left out of the climate conversation (2023, Big Issue)

Why I’m here: four disabled female voices on their place within the environmental movement. (2023, Greenpeace UK)

Protest for All a guide for climate change groups on making their protests accessible for disabled people. (link to pdf, 2022, Bristol Disability Equality Forum)

The people making a difference: profile of a climate activist: “a heavy wheelchair is handy for wrongfooting the police”. (2022, the Guardian)

Disabled People Must Not Pay The Price For Clean Air (2022, Bristol Disability Equality Forum)

City’s co-produced climate action plan ‘is a world first’ featuring Bristol's climate plan, which we also covered on the debrief (2022, Disability News Service)

Disability and the heatwave: Cooling solutions and disability as weather alert goes red (2022, BBC)

‘There’s no support for us at all’: The realities of caring for a disabled child during a heatwave. (2022, Big Issue)

Glasgow disabled facing hostility for car use “Disabled people are facing "climate-change themed" hostility and aggression for using cars, according to a charity.” (2022, The Herald)

A new Community Climate Action Plan in Bristol (2022, Bristol DEF)

Up to the Challenge report examining the National Disability Strategy and how it addresses climate change. "Disabled people across the country are excluded from the important work to tackle climate change." (2022, Oxford)

For disabled environmentalists discrimination and exclusion are a daily reality (2022, Greenpeace)

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Canada

Disability rights don’t have to clash with environmental responsibility (2022, the Conversation)

One Year Since Deadly Heatwave Protections Still Needed: 600 people died due to extreme heat in the summer of 2021, 91% of whom were 60 or older. (2022, Human Rights Watch)

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Dominica

The inclusion of persons with disabilities in the climate change discourse. Highlighting cases of persons with disabilities affected by climate change in this small island developing state. (2022, Dominica News Online)

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Jamaica

Empower the Disabled Community to become Climate Resilient: Jamaican Disability Advocates. ”We need to use the most limiting concerns of people with disabilities as the blueprint to tailor the approach in empowering all,” (2023, Channel5Belize.com)

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United States

How people with disabilities can experience the total solar eclipse 'Sight is only one of our senses' (Mar, USA Today)

Visually impaired students can ‘get a feel for’ eclipses With support from NASA, scientists published a set of tactile graphics on the 2024 total solar eclipse:

“We pick a set of unique textures to use on the master to signify different items, so the sun feels different than the Earth. This way, the textures of the graphics become part of the story being shared. For example, in a model of the sun’s surface, we use Spanish moss to create the dynamic texture of the sun.” (Mar, Fast Company)

How climate change risks disproportionately impact people with disabilities. Video feature on disproportionate impact of natural disasters. (2023, PBS NewsHour)

Rituals for Climate Change: a book on A Crip Struggle for Ecojustice: “offers an often-overlooked perspective on climate-grief, interdependence, and resilience. Disabled people know how to adapt to a world that is ever changing without considering them” (2023, Punctum Books)

Climate Crisis Makes Us Recognize Our Limits;

“Disability has forced me to reckon more forthrightly with the limits of my flesh, to confront the truth that bodies and minds cannot do it all. It has helped me learn to embrace rest, to resist the voices that clamor for more, always more. But disability has also taught me to push back against injustice, to fight hard against the structural barriers that stand in disabled people’s way. Both of these insights are powerful tools for confronting climate change.” (2023, Truthout)

Activists with disabilities want to lead the climate fight despite barriers in their way “Disability and the disability community, we lead with joy and love. And that is such a huge thing that I feel like is often missing from the climate conversation,” (2023, 19th News)

Temperature Regulation Tips for Wheelchair Users How to Stay Safe and Comfortable (2023)

What People With Disabilities Know About Surviving Climate Disasters Those with disabilities have long been ignored in emergency planning, despite the higher risks they face. Extreme weather is making this gap more deadly. “We’re not given survival mechanisms. So of course, we don’t survive.” (2023, Bloomberg)

Energy Storage Can Help People with Disabilities Through Extreme Weather Events. (2023, The Equation)

Climate change efforts won’t work if they exclude people with disabilities. “Ultimately, disability-inclusive approaches to climate action increase the safety, flexibility and accessibility of climate solutions for society as a whole.” (2023, Spokesman-Review)

Poet and Activist Naomi Ortiz Talks About Ecojustice and Self Care: “Ecojustice to me is how we can live and balance the best we can and honor the fact that we have different needs.” (2022, WNYC Studios)

It’s not just heat stroke. Extreme temperatures pose special risk to people with chronic illness (2022, Statnews)

In best of times, New Orleans is hard on people with disabilities. In hurricanes, it's deadly. (2022, Nola)

Ageing and the Climate Crisis aging (2022, ASA Generations)

Where Food Sustainability and Disability Clash “Services like grocery and meal delivery are generally not environmentally or worker-friendly, using lots of single-use plastic and relying on underpaid gig workers. But they’re often the safest and most accessible avenues for disabled and chronically ill people.” (2022, FoodPrint)

Climate change is forcing care workers to act as first responders. “A new pilot program in California aims to provide the training and resources they need to take care of their clients and themselves. But advocates say increased responsibility should equal more pay.” (2022, 19th News)

Severe weather can mean life or death for people with disabilities. (2022, Fox9)

Ensuring the Safety of People With Disabilities During Climate Change (2022, Santa Clara University)

How heeding disabled people can help us survive the climate crisis. (2022, Slate)

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Australia

Eco-ableism? Banning Straws’ Impact on Disabled People. “This month, Victoria became the latest Australian state to ban single-use plastics, including straws. While this is a win for the environment and marine life, it will come at a price for social inclusion.” (2023, Mirage)

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New Zealand

When the rain doesn’t stop. The Debrief's Áine Kelly-Costello on experiences in the Auckland flooding. (2023, Blind Citizens NZ)

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Pacific

Podcast with Sainimili Tawake who works as inclusive development advisor for the Pacific Disability Forum. (No transcript, 2022, UNDP)

Disability and Climate change in the Pacific. Findings from discussions with disabled people in Kiribati, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu.

“Many of the impacts highlighted in this report relate to exclusionary practices that already exist. This ranges from discrimination within the household to exclusion from policy formation and policy implementation. For example, persons with disabilities may not be prioritised when a household is experiencing a shortage of food or water. Similarly, persons with disabilities are often not considered in disaster risk management, such as the design of evacuation procedures and evacuation shelters. Without concerted action, the impact of exclusion on persons with disabilities will become worse under climate change.” (link to pdf, 2022, Pacific Disability Forum)

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Samoa

A Sustainable Future discussion on preparation for disasters and climate change. (2023, Disability Justice Project)

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Solomon Islands

How People with Disabilities Face Climate Change in Solomon Islands: "Every high tide is right at my doorstep every time I wake up. That keeps me wondering if soon, we are going to sink in the sea with no option,” (2022, Solomon Times)

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