CLIMATE CHANGE, AGEING AND PUBLIC POLICIES
Context and justification
Climate change is intensifying environmental risks such as heatwaves, floods, wildfires and other extreme events. These risks are creating growing challenges for health systems, social protection, urban planning and emergency management.
Older people are among the most vulnerable groups to these phenomena. Factors such as age-related physiological changes, the presence of chronic diseases, dependence on medication, reduced mobility or social isolation increase their exposure and vulnerability to extreme climate events.
At the same time, demographic ageing is transforming the structure of our societies. In the coming decades, the proportion of older people in cities and territories will continue to grow, making it necessary to integrate an ageing perspective into climate adaptation policies, disaster risk reduction and urban planning.
Despite this reality, there is still a significant gap between research on climate change and research on ageing, as well as between scientific evidence and the design of public policies.
The creation of a Research Unit on Climate Change, Public Policies and Ageing seeks to help close this gap through an interdisciplinary approach that combines applied economics, political science, public health, gerontology, urban planning and environmental studies.
Objective of the unit
The aim of the unit is to analyse, evaluate and improve public policies aimed at preventing and managing climate risks affecting older people, generating scientific knowledge that contributes to the design of more resilient and age-adapted societies.
From an interdisciplinary perspective, the unit aims to:
- Analyse the impact of climate risks on older populations.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of public policies for adaptation and risk management.
- Identify international best practices in cities and territories.
- Propose public policy instruments based on scientific evidence.
- Contribute to academic debate and public decision-making.
