Disability and Disaster Risk Reduction in post-2015
Description
Despite the overarching concern of reducing vulnerability and risk within disaster risk reduction (DRR), the most at risk have largely been excluded from disaster risk reduction policy and practice to date. People with disability, face significant barriers to accessing potentially life-saving information and procedures prior to disasters.
During disasters disruption to the built environment can greatly hinder the ability of people with disability to adequately protect themselves and to evacuate safely. Available evidence suggests that disaster related mortality and morbidity rates among people with disability are disproportionately high. In the case of Japan in March 2011, it is recorded that the death toll of persons with disability was twice as much higher than persons without disability.
The Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) makes specific reference to certain a risk groups; however, the HFA fails to adequately address disability. The cross-cutting nature of disability is also not acknowledged. A consequence of the omission of disability from the HFA has been that those often at greatest risk have been largely excluded from DRR practice and policy to date
In 2012, the Disability-inclusive DRR Network for Asia-Pacific was launched at the 5th AMCDRR with the objective to ensure the inclusion of disability, and the active participation of people with disability, in a post-2015 framework on disaster risk reduction (HFA2). The Yogyakarta Declaration makes explicit the need to include disability in DRR planning and programming at all levels.
The UNISDR online consultation report on post HFA also recognizes that disability has received far too little attention within DRR to date and notes the increased exposure to disaster risks of people with disability. The report also stresses the importance of the active participation of people with disability in DRM. This has been identified as a priority for concerted action in the post HFA process with calls for the necessary participation of people with disability in DRM decision-making processes..
The need to reduce risk, including from natural disasters, for people with disabilities is stipulated under Article 11 of the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
Session objective is to draw recommendations on inclusion of persons with disabilities in a post-2015 framework on disaster risk reduction (HFA2) document
Expected Outcomes
- gaps identified
- 3 key recommendation for inclusion of Disability in a post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction (HFA2) proposed by the disability stakeholders
Outcomes
- View session report (180.84 Kb)
- Stakeholder consultation: disability recommendations (5.68 Kb)
