By Milton Kanyenze (Southern Africa)
Persons with Disabilities are grappling multiple effects of Climate Change, a scenario that continues to affect their socio-economic progressions across communities.
Chief among these, is the extent of disability inclusion in all climate programmes.
Speaking to this publication PWD’S confirm that, on top of environmental barriers, they often face discrimination, Inadequate access to services and resources and lack of representation.
This makes them twice as likely to experience poverty as people without disabilities and 30% more likely to be unemployed.
Inadequate access to education, discriminatory attitudes and practices and socioeconomic factors can result in high levels of unemployment for persons with disabilities.
Climate change activist Edson Dongo says, according to the United Nations, an estimated of 1 billion individuals worldwide they have disabilities but in Zimbabwe are highly affected by climate change.
‘’Inadequate access to education, discriminatory attitudes and practices and socioeconomic factors can result in high levels of unemployment for persons with disabilities.’’ Said Dongo.
PWD’S Male Senator Ishmael Zhou said, ‘’shortage of resources as governments struggle to focus their attention on natural disaster such as floods, drought, and heat waves, leaving the state with budget shortfalls.’’
He also added that, in times of crisis, PWD’S are the first to be affected and the last at times to evacuated.Zimbabwe is an AGRO based economy when there are less rains resulting from the ELNINO effectFood is usually scarce and very expensive while disability and poverty are interred twinned.
In times of disaster and emergencies, employers normally cut back on employees.Workers with disabilities are normally the first to retrenched and the last to be hide. Climate action can be disability-inclusive, protecting the rights of persons with disabilities and empowering them to be part of the solution.
In Zimbabwe, there are project implemented by the government, NGOs that take in to cognizance persons with disabilities in decision -making, raising awareness in their communities, and conducting vulnerability and capacity assessments.
About the writer
Milton Kanyenze is a Journalism Student at Christian College for Southern Africa(CCOSA).
