Climate change impacts us all, especially those of us who are most vulnerable. Better understanding climate change and the impact it has on persons with disabilities across the Pacific is crucial to ensuring disability-inclusive climate action.
Australia through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has supported the Pacific Disability Forum (PDF) to undertake research focused on the vulnerabilities and opportunities for building climate and disaster resilience of persons with disabilities in the Pacific.
The research was exploratory and included participants from Solomon Islands, Kiribati, and Tuvalu, who were willing to share their experiences and stories.
Yesterday, at the Towards an Inclusive Climate Ready Pacific event in Suva, the Pacific Disability Forum, together with the Australian High Commission, launched the final report.
They were joined remotely by participants and organizations from across the region, including People with Disabilities Solomon Islands. This report will play a crucial role, beginning with the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities at every stage.
This research provides important insights on how climate change is affecting persons with disabilities in the Pacific.
Findings and recommendations from the study will be used by PDF to build its future programming on the needs of persons with disabilities in relation to climate change impacts, adaptation, and policy mainstreaming.