Closing the disability gap in climate and disaster policy

Persons with disabilities (PWDs) face disproportionately high risks during climate-related disasters because of systemic exclusion from adaptation planning and disaster preparedness systems in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Existing climate policies in the region inadequately integrate disability rights and obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and related frameworks. Introduction Governments must institutionalise disability-inclusive governance through mandatory accessible early warning systems, inclusive adaptation planning, and enforceable accountability mechanisms across all disaster-risk institutions.