Climate change will increase difficulties for people with disabilities (PWDs) by making impairments more prevalent, exacerbating accessibility issues, and reducing critical resources. PWDs are often invisible in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation planning, becoming separated from support systems. Effective inclusion of PWDs requires recognizing their vulnerabilities and capacities for adaptation. It also requires ensuring their participation in development through advocacy, accessible infrastructure and relief efforts, and including PWDs in interventions for food, water and sanitation.

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Inclusion of people
with disabilities in
climate change
adaptation
PHAM TIEN DZUNG - ADRA VIETNAM

2. www.adravietnam.orgInclusion of people with disabilities in climate change adaptation
1. The Impact of Climate Change
on People with Disabilities
Inclusion of people with disabilities in climate
change adaptation
2. Inclusion of people with
disabilities in climate change
adaptation
2

3. www.adravietnam.org
The Impact of Climate Change on PWDs
3
• Climate change will
increase the prevalence
of disabling
impairments.
Inclusion of people with disabilities in climate change adaptation
Photo by Nguyen Van Gia
• Climate change will increase the difficulties for
PWDs.

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The Impact of Climate Change on PWDs
Climate change will increase the difficulties
for PWDs.
4 Model of reproductive health and life skill education among school adolescents
• Invisible: PWDs are not considered in DRR and CCA planning
• Separated: become separated from family and friends and less
able to access emergency support
• Unreachable: Difficulty in reaching safe areas and accessing
vital emergency information
• Blocked out: The damage to infrastructure can obstruct PWDs’
mobility.
• Loss of assistive tools: wheelchairs, crutches, canes or hearing
aids.

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The Impact of Climate Change on PWDs
• Reduction in food security,
resulting in malnutrition
5 Model of reproductive health and life skill education among school adolescents
• Reducing access to clean
water, sanitation and
hygiene (WASH) facilities

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The Impact of Climate Change on PWDs
• Reducing access to infrastructure, shelter
and basic services
6 Model of reproductive health and life skill education among school adolescents
• Less resources available for affordable and
accessible services for the poorest people including
PWDs.
• Accessible basic health and other services may
disappear;
• Contracting infectious diseases.

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The Impact of Climate Change on PWDs
Migration difficulty
7 Model of reproductive health and life skill education among school adolescents
• Weak in struggling for resources post disaster
• Unprotected: Stealing and other social evils

8. www.adravietnam.orgInclusion of people with disabilities in climate change adaptation
Inclusion of people with disabilities in climate
change adaptation
2. Inclusion of people with disabilities in
climate change adaptation

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Inclusion of people with disabilities in climate
change adaptation
Approaches
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• The central role of PWDs
• Rights Based Approach
• Law of disability
• The Twin-Track Approach
• Integration
• Mainstreaming
• Comprehensive intervention
• Health
• Education
• Livelihood
• Social inclusion (Women and Children with Disabilities)
• Empowerment
Inclusion of people with disabilities in climate change adaptation

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Inclusion of people with disabilities in climate
change adaptation
• Recognizing vulnerability and capacity
for adaption
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• Resilience
• Adaptive capacity
• Access to and control over natural, human, social,
physical, and financial resources
Inclusion of people with disabilities in climate change adaptation

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Inclusion of people with disabilities in climate
change adaptation
Ensure the full participation and inclusion in
the mainstream development of PWDs
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• Advocacy and fund allocation
• Disseminate key messages concerning the vulnerability of PWDs
in weather related emergencies
• Target:
• Government
• Private sector
• Public communities
• Social organizations
• DPOs
Inclusion of people with disabilities in climate change adaptation

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Inclusion of people with disabilities in climate
change adaptation
Climate change adaptation plans should
include the needs of PWDs
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• Mapping people with disability in
adaptation plans
• Assign members of relief teams to
specially take care of PWDs and other
vulnerable groups
• Tools and materials should be adapted to
PWDs
• Assist PWDs to build relationships with
neighbors and communities, so they are not
isolated
Inclusion of people with disabilities in climate change adaptation

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Inclusion of people with disabilities in climate
change adaptation
• Ensure accessibility standards are applied
in construction of infrastructure
• DRR activities at all levels need to
specifically include PWDs as a vulnerable
group
• Include PWDs and their families into
interventions of provision of food, water,
sanitation etc
13 Inclusion of people with disabilities in climate change adaptation

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Inclusion of people with disabilities in climate
change adaptation
14 Inclusion of people with disabilities in climate change adaptation

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Inclusion of people with disabilities in climate change adaptation
Main References:
1.David Lewis & Kath Ballard - CBM Australia –
Disability and Climate Change
2.Pham Tien Dzung – Assessment Report on
PVI’s capacity of DRR – 2011
3.World Bank - The Impact of Climate Change on
People with Disabilities – 2009
Inclusion of people with disabilities in climate
change adaptation
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16. www.adravietnam.org16
PHAM TIEN DZUNG - ADRA VIETNAM
phtdzung@yahoo.com
Inclusion of people
with disabilities in
climate change
adaptation