COP27 can be a reset on climate justice for people with disabilities.

12 years ago, at COP16, the 2010 Cancun Agreements identified PWDs as disproportionally affected by the climate crisis and emphasized inclusion as an essential element of climate justice. It's time to deliver.

Nancy Marangu

Nancy Marangu

In Africa, the effects of climate change fall heavily on the shoulders of women, children and persons with disabilities (PWD), especially those living in rural communities. Some of these individuals fall into more than one of these categories, exacerbating the challenge.

Sadly, climate change negotiators and policymakers tend to overlook PWDs more than any other demographic.

Challenges facing PWDs include a lack of research and development and climate policies and plans not being available in multiple readable formats such as braille and other similar technologies used worldwide. Inaccessible websites and the unavailability of sign language interpreters are also common issues.

Many African nations do not have structured guidelines as well as supportive technologies to collect and study data on PWDs, making it difficult to predict with accuracy the populations of PWDs affected by climate change at country or sub-regional levels.

Kenya is making some progress. According to the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census, 2.2 per cent (900,000) Kenyans live with some form of disability of which 1.9 per cent are men and 2.5 per cent are women; while 700,000 live in rural areas, 200,000 are in urban centres.

The country is also developing systems and databanks that provide data for PWDs affected by climate change. For example, the Nchiru Disability Self Help Group based in Egoji Ward, Meru County, reports that water scarcity caused by changing weather patterns hurts macadamia and avocado farming activities. Severe deforestation due to dependence on firewood as a primary source of energy contributes to carbon emissions while also limiting areas in which crops can be cultivated.

The Kenyan Ministry of Environment and Forestry has supported more than 38 county governments to develop climate change action plans. These plans ought to be translated into vernacular languages and made available in multiple readable formats to increase their access to PWDs.

Walking the talk

It is puzzling that leaders have not instituted broad-based systems and mechanisms for collecting, analyzing and disseminating data on PWDs directly affected by climatic effects.

Moreover, these leaders have not met their obligations to provide...