Disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction: Moving forward in DiDRR across Europe and Central Asia

The aim of the review was primarily to provide a baseline of information for this region on the current state of disability inclusion in DRR-related policies and practices, so this will be a 'living' document, but it is also hoped that it will support consistency of reporting on disability inclusion in DRR across the rest of the regions of the world. In preparation for the 2021 European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction (EFDRR), the European Disability Forum (EDF) has worked on the first-ever review of disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction (DiDRR) policy and practice across countries of the Europe and Central Asia region.

This review may also help inform the upcoming Mid-Term Review of the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015- 2030 and the EDF alternative report for the second review of the EU by the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The findings from the review of the DiDRR policy and practice in Europe and Central Asia point to an urgent need to accelerate action to reduce disaster and climate related risks and their disproportionate impact on persons with disabilities. This should be done through fast-tracked and contextual implementation of the Sendai Framework, in adherence with its Guiding Principles and in line with Article 11 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which obliges States to ensure the protection and safety of persons with disabilities in situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies.