The Global Disability Fund is organizing the following side event at COP30.
Inclusive Climate Action:
Scaling Disability-Responsive Solutions for a Resilient Future
Wednesday, 19 November 2025 | 11:00–11:50 (Belém UTC-3)
Australian Pavilion at PVA18, Belém, Brazil
Organized by:
Sponsored by:
The climate crisis is intensifying, and its impacts are acutely felt across the Pacific—where rising sea levels, cyclones, drought, and saltwater intrusion threaten livelihoods, infrastructure, and essential services. Climate shocks are disrupting education, health, energy, WASH, and transport systems, with outer islands facing the steepest recovery costs.
Persons with disabilities—representing 16% of the global population and a substantial proportion of Pacific communities—are among those most affected. Barriers to accessible early-warning systems, inclusive evacuation and shelter, continuity of assistive technology, and accessible health, WASH, and transport services compound risk and extend recovery times. Women and girls with disabilities, Indigenous communities, and those in remote islands experience the deepest exclusion.
Anchored in the CRPD (Articles 11 & 32), the Paris Agreement, and the Sendai Framework, this session positions disability inclusion as a core resilience strategy, not a peripheral concern. It will launch the GDF–DFAT Partnership for Inclusive Climate Action in the Pacific, connecting OPD-led innovation with policy reform, technical assistance, and catalytic finance. Through this partnership, inclusive design will be embedded in adaptation planning, resilient infrastructure, and climate-smart systems—turning global commitments into tangible, investable action.
Relevant Resources
Status Report on Disability Rights in Climate Policies
