Climate Resilience for an Aging Nation

Climate change is having an immediate and sometimes life-threatening impact, especially for older adults. Danielle Arigoni argues that we cannot achieve true resilience until communities adopt interventions that meet the needs of their oldest residents. She explores how to integrate age-friendly resilience into community planning and disaster preparedness efforts to create communities that serve the needs of older adults better, not only during disasters but for all the days in between.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 29 December 2023
Publisher: Island Press

Climate change is having a profound and often life-threatening impact, particularly on older adults. Generally speaking, individuals aged 65 or older are particularly vulnerable to its effects. Older adults often face mobility, cognitive, and resource challenges, which significantly increase their risk of death in the face of major disasters. However, there are also less visible challenges that impact older adults. Consider the case of a grandparent who cannot stand and wait at the bus stop due to extreme heat, or a retiree living in a home with chronic flooding caused by recurring floods that they cannot afford to remediate or leave due to their limited fixed income. Our population is aging, with projections suggesting that by 2034, the United States will have more people over 65 than under 18. Despite overwhelming evidence of the severe impact of climate change on older adults and the likelihood of increased frequency and severity of disasters, our preparedness to address the needs of these vulnerable populations is inadequate. In her book, Climate Resilience for an Aging Nation, community resilience and housing expert Danielle Arigoni makes a compelling argument that true resilience cannot be achieved until communities adopt interventions that prioritize the needs of their oldest residents. Arigoni explains that by planning for those most affected by climate change and addressing the barriers to opportunity and well-being, we can improve conditions for everyone. Throughout the book, Arigoni offers practical examples of how to integrate age-friendly resilience into community planning and disaster preparedness efforts. She advocates for new planning approaches, such as an age-friendly process and a planning framework dedicated to inclusive disaster recovery, to create communities that serve the needs of older adults better, not only during disasters but throughout their daily lives. By recognizing the unique challenges faced by older adults and taking proactive steps to address them, we can build more resilient and inclusive communities that can better withstand the impacts of climate change.

Weight: 392g
Dimension: 152 x 229 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781642832976