Older people on the front lines of the climate crisis

Climate change does not affect all population groups equally. According to a report published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), older people are at particularly high risk, especially from extreme heat waves, which are becoming more frequent and deadly. "Heat waves are among the most frequent and deadly effects of climate change, along with floods and the reduction of ice sheets,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP.

• Alarmingly increasing mortality

The UNEP report highlights that annual deaths caused by heat among the elderly have increased by about 85% since the 1990s. This statistic reflects not only a serious epidemiological reality, but also the failure of public health and urban planning systems to adapt to the new climate. The most affected categories are: People with chronic diseases (respiratory, cardiovascular, metabolic); Those with reduced mobility or dependent on care; The elderly living in crowded cities, where the "urban heat island” phenomenon accentuates thermal stress.

• Humidity - an aggravating factor

The report draws attention to the danger of the heat-humidity combination, already present in tropical regions. This combination affects the body's natural temperature regulation mechanisms and can quickly lead to heatstroke, heat collapse or death. "We must be prepared for the risks that these impacts pose, especially for the most vulnerable members of society,” said Andersen.

• Urbanization intensifies the danger

Increasing temperatures in urban environments - where concrete, asphalt and lack of vegetation retain heat - is a direct threat, in the context of a continuously growing city population. Lack of air conditioning or adequate ventilation in older people's homes increases exposure. To protect this vulnerable group, UNEP calls for: Early warning systems for heat waves; Local response plans adapted to older people; Accessible thermal refuges (cooling centres); Increasing vegetation cover in urban areas; Education and community support for monitoring isolated older people.

The UNEP report is a wake-up call: without urgent action, climate change will continue to exacerbate inequalities and turn heat waves into a silent humanitarian crisis for millions of older people. In the face of a warming world, intergenerational solidarity and urban adaptation become moral and strategic imperatives.