Exploring the preparedness of persons with disabilities to flood disasters: a case study of Kanyemba Ward in Mbire district, Zimbabwe

Abstract

Persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments. These people have a higher risk of dying or getting injured during disasters such as flooding than the general population. The impact of flood disasters on persons with disabilities is both a direct and indirect. This research explores the preparedness of persons with disabilities to flood disasters. It adopted a case study research design involving Ward One (Kanyemba) of Mbire District which experiences flood disasters on an annual basis. In-depth interviews were held with civil protection officials within the district of Mbire, ward councillors, and traditional leaders among others. The key informant interviews were complimented with a questionnaire survey that targeted persons with disabilities, their caregivers, and organisations for persons with disabilities (OPDs). Results showed that persons with disabilities in Kanyemba are not prepared for flood disasters. Rather, they are often among those most adversely affected by flooding, sustaining disproportionately higher rates of morbidity and mortality, and are among those least able to access emergency support. Flood disasters also seriously affect the access of persons with disabilities to food, safe drinking water and sanitation services, health-care, education and training, adequate housing and access to decent work. The barriers affecting persons with disability's flood preparedness were found to be a combination of attitudinal, institutional, economic and environmental factors. While attitudinal barriers include stigma and discrimination from the community and low self-esteem, physical one includes visual and physical impairments. In addition, environmental barriers found in this study include inaccessibility of local paths during rainy season and inaccessibility of infrastructure and community buildings. Institutional barriers include a lack of expertise on disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction. The most common economic barrier was a lack of funding for disability-inclusive programs. Despite this, the study reviewed that there are a few enablers that should facilitate flood preparedness among persons with disabilities. The enablers are related to policy and legal frameworks, capacity-building and awareness being done by both the government and development partners, accessible infrastructure and technology, inclusive planning and decision-making process. The study recommends that persons with disabilities be included in disaster risk reduction (DRR) initiatives. Their participation would allow for tailored DRR measures that address the specific concerns of persons with disabilities. A human rights-based approach is needed to empower persons with disabilities as agents of change in addressing the impacts of flooding in their day-to-day lives.