Disaster risk reduction and climate change

Global ageing is a triumph of development. However, older people face specific vulnerabilities as they age, which can become obstacles as they prepare for and respond to shocks and stresses.

We work with older people in Ethiopia, capturing their ancestral knowledge and using it for climate adaptation projects. (c) Jeff Williams/HelpAge International

Their vulnerabilities are further heightened by increasing land pressures, climate change and environmental degradation.

We work with governments, civil society and older people to make disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and resilience building more age-inclusive.

Older people’s vulnerabilities

Older people are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters, shocks and stresses and have specific needs. Older age brings reduced mobility and strength, impaired sight and hearing, and greater vulnerability to heat and cold. Many older people are less able or less willing to flee from potential harm and can struggle to obtain food.

Walking sticks and frames, hearing aids and eye glasses can make a huge difference in being prepared for potential disasters, reaching distribution points, preparing food or collecting firewood. Older people also need undisrupted support to access healthcare for chronic conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes.

We respond to the specific vulnerabilities and strengths of older people in preparing for and responding to shocks and stresses through practical programme work and policy influencing targeted at governments, donors and civil society.

Older people’s knowledge

Older people’s knowledge can be a great contributor to sustainability and resilience building. In understanding hazards, environmental degradation, climate change, older people have a lifetime of experience. Stories, traditions and practices are in danger of being lost due to their replacement with modern approaches.

Climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction initiatives strongly benefit from combining older people’s knowledge with science and technology. Our priority is to capture this knowledge and ensure older people’s contributions to local, national and international development.

Our strategy

We build the resilience of older people and their families to the impact of natural disasters including climate change, environmental degradation and food price volatility.

We do this by combining climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and sustainable livelihoods programmes. We bring together different generations in disaster risk reduction (DRR) committees and promote preparedness and response interventions that take into account the vulnerabilities and capabilities of people of all ages.

We advocate for:

• Stronger recognition and understanding of older people's unique vulnerabilities to disasters and longer term processes of environmental degradation and climate change.
  
• Age-inclusive disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation policies. 
• Stronger recognition by governments and civil society of the importance of older people's knowledge.

Examples of our work

Winterisation in Central Asia:

With younger adults migrating for work, many older people are left behind with their grandchildren. These skipped generation households are extremely vulnerable as older people struggle to provide for their grandchildren and themselves, especially during the winter months. We built greenhouses to enable older people to grow potatoes and vegetables into the winter months. We also installed solar powered lighting in a number of communal facilities, allowing older people to meet in social spaces, thus reducing isolation.

Intergenerational work in Ethiopia:

The population in Borena are mainly pastoralists who depend on livestock for survival. Increasing frequency of droughts is resulting in loss of livestock. With Save the Children, we are supporting communities to prepare and mitigate for this and reach the most vulnerable with the support of intergenerational DRR committees.

Ancestral knowledge in Bolivia:

In Bolivia, where increasing flood and drought risks are due in part to the changing climate, HelpAge and partners work with older people to capture ancestral knowledge of agriculture techniques called Camellones. Camellones are raised island banks planted with a variety of vegetables and fruits. These banks retain water in times of water shortage and protect crops from flooding in the lowland areas. The banks’ ponds are dug and populated with fish which diversifies the community’s income and increases its resilience to changing conditions.