Climate Change and Disability-Inclusive Adaptation: Qualitative Evidence from Uzbekistan

The impacts of climate change are unevenly felt within countries in part due to social inequalities. One population that has received little attention in prior studies of climate change and social inequality are persons with disabilities. Yet persons with disabilities represent 16 percent of the global population and face widespread forms of marginalization. How do the fast-moving shocks—flooding, drought, heatwaves—and slower-moving economic effects of climate change impact persons with disabilities? How can climate change adaptation efforts be disability inclusive? We examine these questions in Uzbekistan, a country facing significant vulnerabilities stemming from climate change. Drawing on original fieldwork, interviews with persons with disabilities, and interviews with leaders of disability rights organizations, this study yields novel insights into how disability and climate change interact to generate heightened vulnerabilities.