Online Reporter
Disability Issues
Dr Christine Peta
CLIMATE CHANGE is often discussed in terms of rising temperatures, droughts, floods and food insecurity.
Yet one critical dimension is frequently overlooked: its disproportionate impact on persons with disabilities.
Climate change is not only an environmental crisis; it is also a human rights and justice issue.
Unless climate policies and programmes are disability-inclusive, millions of people will continue to face greater risks while having fewer opportunities to protect themselves and recover from climate-related disasters.
Extreme weather events disrupt essential services and place additional pressure on already limited resources. In Zimbabwe, climate change has become increasingly evident through prolonged droughts, erratic rainfall, intense heatwaves and more frequent storms.
These changes have serious implications for persons with disabilities.
During disasters, inaccessible evacuation centres, inadequate transport and emergency information that is not available in accessible formats can leave many at heightened risk.
Among the most vulnerable are persons with albinism.
Due to the absence or reduced production of melanin, they have little natural protection against the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays.
As temperatures rise and exposure to intense sunlight increases, so does the risk of severe sunburn, skin damage and skin cancer.
For many Zimbabweans with albinism, daily activities such as walking to school, working outdoors or travelling long distances become increasingly dangerous in a warming climate.
Climate change, therefore, presents not only an environmental challenge but also a significant public health concern for this community. Encouragingly, Zimbabwe has taken important steps to address these challenges.
Through the Ministry of Health and Child Care, working alongside organisations of persons with disabilities and development partners, awareness campaigns on skin cancer prevention have been implemented.
Sunscreen lotions, protective clothing and wide-brimmed hats have been distributed to persons with albinism, while some health facilities have expanded skin cancer screening and dermatological services.
The Government of Zimbabwe has also adopted the National Disability Policy and increasingly recognises the importance of integrating disability into disaster risk reduction and climate resilience initiatives.
These efforts demonstrate a growing understanding that inclusive climate action is essential for protecting vulnerable communities.
Climate adaptation programmes should ensure that early warning systems are accessible to deaf persons through sign language and captioning, to blind persons through audio formats and to persons with intellectual disabilities through easy-to-understand information.
Emergency shelters, evacuation procedures and humanitarian assistance must also be accessible to people with different types of disabilities.
Climate justice also requires meaningful participation.
Persons with disabilities must not be viewed simply as beneficiaries of climate programmes but as active contributors to climate solutions.
Their lived experiences provide valuable insights into designing resilient communities, accessible infrastructure and inclusive disaster preparedness strategies.
Universities, researchers, civil society organisations and the private sector also have an important role to play. They can generate evidence on the relationship between climate change and disability, develop accessible technologies, promote disability-inclusive innovation and support community-based adaptation initiatives.
By working together with the Government and organisations of persons with disabilities, these stakeholders can help ensure that climate action leaves no one and no place behind.
Ultimately, climate change is more than an environmental challenge; it is a test of our commitment to equality, inclusion and justice.
A society cannot claim to build climate resilience while overlooking those who are most vulnerable to its impacts. Protecting persons with disabilities, including those with albinism who face an increased risk of skin cancer, is not an act of charity but a matter of human rights and good governance.
As Zimbabwe continues to strengthen its climate response, embedding disability inclusion in every aspect of climate policy and programming will not only save lives but also build stronger, more resilient and more equitable communities. True climate justice can only be achieved when all people, including persons with disabilities, have the opportunity to live safely, participate fully and thrive in a changing climate.
Dr Christine Peta is a disability, public health, policy, international development and research expert. She can be contacted on developaf rica2020 @gmail.com
