Access to climate change news is a challenge to persons with disabilities in Tanzania attributed to the absence of guidelines on climate adaptation, action and mitigation that specifically target this group of the society.

People with disabilities are an important social group in achieving Tanzania’s digital and blue inclusive economy as stipulated in the Draft of the NationalDevelopment Vision 2050 issued December 2024.

The Vision emphasizes on building a climate-resilient nation by embracing effective climate governance, robust disaster preparedness, climate-smart practices, clean energy sources and low-carbon solutions while leveraging carbon trading and climate financing opportunities for sustainable development.

In that regard, persons with hearing impairments shouldn’t be left behind in accessing information about climate change.

In Tanzania, of the total 539,186 persons with hearing impairments, 518,846 live in Tanzania Mainland and 20,340 live in Zanzibar Island.

On a wider picture, the total number of persons with disabilities in Tanzania is pegged at 5.35 million as of 2022 which is nearly equal to the entire population of Dar es Salaam's city which stood at 5.38 million as of 2022, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Census results.

Jonas Lubago, Secretary General of the Tanzania Federation of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities alias Kiswahili as SHIVYAWATA, said in an interview that persons with disabilities are more directly affected by climate change crises than other social groups.

Lubago said that climate change-related disasters such as floods are not easy for persons with disabilities to rescue themselves.

He said the effects of climate change are not only for persons with hearing impairment, global warming has also a major health impact on persons with albinism.

Lubago asserted that there are people with different kinds of disability who depend on agricultural, livestock and fishing activities for a living. When climate crises strike these economic activities are directly impacted thus persons with disabilities.

“For example, a person with physical disability who lives near a water source, when drought hits, he or she is more affected by the struggle of searching for water to distant places than a person without disability,” he said.

He argued that Tanzania's policies and laws on the rights of persons with disabilities are too general; they are not specific to addressing challenges that face people with different kinds of disabilities in case of climate change crises.

According to him, Section 41 to Section 46 of the Persons with Disabilities Act No. 9 of 2010 directs ministers to prepare sectorial plans for persons with disabilities but it is not the case since the provisions are too general to hold accountable public officials.

He said that policies should clearly state that when natural disasters strike, including those caused by climate change, people with disabilities should be a priority to be identified and urgently assisted to respond and return to their previous livelihood conditions.

“Climate change disasters such as severe droughts, floods, typhoons and cyclones when they strike amplify people with disabilities’ poverty rate;

When cattle owned by a disabled person die from drought, it is more complicated for him to make money to buy one compared to persons without disabilities,” said Lubago.

According to Lubago, the state of information and communication on climate change and its effects on persons with disabilities is absolutely unsatisfactory. This problem does not only affect persons with hearing impairment but also the blind.

Lubago who is also visually impaired said that he relies solely on the radio for daily news. He said he has never heard a single radio hosting a program on climate change in Tanzania.

According to him, climate change has led to food shortages at different times in some parts of Tanzania but there has been no effort to identify households that rely on persons with disabilities for a living for them to be prioritized in humanitarian aid arrangements extended by the government and UN Agencies.

Lubago said that there are events of high-ranking government officials such as the President and the Prime Minister where various governing directives are issued to their subordinates; the federation has refused to deploy sign language interpreters in such events on the grounds of the security of the top leaders.

“The recent event was at the launch of the 2023 education policy edition held in Dodoma, the sign language interpreter we hired was prevented from standing near the presidential podium on the grounds of the security of President Samia Suluhu Hassan who was the guest of honor,” said Lubago.

He said that there is still time for improvement of the 2004 Disability Policy and the 2010 Disability Act to give people with disabilities the right to access information as it applies to persons without disability.

According to him, amendment of existing legislations could give room for advanced techniques for the dissemination of climate change news especially through photojournalism, the kind of news dissemination that still isolates persons with visual impairment in developing countries like Tanzania.

“Even climate news broadcasted on television and published in newspapers does not involve opinions from persons with disabilities. There is a problem with many journalists not understanding the concept of covering climate change and communities in Tanzania,” said Lubago.

Investigation by this journalist revealed that even the Tanzania Meteorological Authority’s (TMA) online television has not hired a sign language interpreter for its 24-hour weather forecast bulletin.

The TMA’s weather forecast bulletin identifies areas that will be affected by heavy rain or periods of hot sun and winds within 24 hours to four days but yet, are not packaged to equally inform all groups of persons with disabilities.

As per the Prime Minister’s Office reports, TMA’s weather forecast bulletins are an important guide for people to make decisions in economic activities related to agriculture, pastoralism and businesses regardless of their physical status.

Investigation has also uncovered that even the climate change programs broadcasted through the National Environment Management Council’s (NEMC) online television do not involve sign language interpretations thus leaving persons with hearing impairment uninformed.

Section 18 (2) (h) of the Environmental Management Act 2004 states that the National Environment Management Council (NEMC) in co-operation with relevant sector shall prepare programs intended to enhance environmental education and public awareness about the need for sound environmental management as well as for enlisting public support and encouraging the effort made by other entities in that regard.

Subsection (2) (i) states that without prejudice to subsection (1), the Council shall, in collaboration with relevant sector ministries publish and disseminate manuals, codes or guidelines relating to environmental management and prevention or abatement of environmental degradation.

However, the Act does not mention the words ‘disability’ and ‘special groups’ in relation to environment management.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNDP) Adaptation Gap Report 2023, there is global recognition that climate change can exacerbate inequality in multiple dimensions of social identity, including disability, gender, indigeneity, age, ethnicity; and migrant status.

The AGR 2023 has analysed the integration of gender equality and social inclusion in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs).

The report finds that only 20 per cent of these plans have a dedicated budget for such activities, and that the amount allocated is generally low, averaging two per cent.

Of the international public finance for adaptation that is also tagged with gender equality as a principal objective, only two per cent is assessed as gender-responsive, with a further 24 per cent considered gender-specific or integrative.