Fiji, Oct. 6 -- Pacific disability advocates are demanding that persons with disabilities have a direct role in climate decision-making and access to climate finance, warning that current systems are leaving some of the region's most vulnerable communities behind.

Speaking at the Fiji Pre-COP31 Stakeholder Programme in Nadi, Pacific Disability Forum representative Sainimili Tawake said climate change was already threatening the safety, dignity and survival of persons with disabilities across the Pacific.

"For persons with disabilities across the Pacific, the climate crisis is already stripping away safety, dignity, and the very conditions needed to survive," Tawake said.

She said rising sea levels, stronger cyclones, water insecurity a...