Is Extreme Heat Endangering Older Individuals, As Per UN Report?

New Delhi, July 10 (NationPress) As extreme heat tightens its grip on numerous nations and becomes "the new normal," the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has issued a warning regarding the increased health hazards that older individuals face in the Frontiers 2025 Report released on Thursday.

Other significant repercussions of climate change include the melting of glaciers that could revive dormant pathogens and floods that may unleash hazardous chemicals.

The seventh edition of the Frontiers Report, titled The Weight of Time - Confronting a New Era of Challenges for People and Ecosystems, is part of UNEP's Foresight Trajectory initiative and emphasizes emerging environmental challenges along with possible solutions.

The inaugural edition in 2016 alerted about the rising threat of zoonotic diseases, four years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. This report arrives as communities in China, Japan, India, Europe, the US, and elsewhere endure weeks of extreme heat and flooding.

"Heat waves rank among the most frequent and lethal consequences of climate change, alongside floods and diminishing ice cover," stated Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP.

"We need to be equipped to handle the risks these impacts present, particularly for the most vulnerable segments of society, including older individuals. However, as this year's Frontiers Report illustrates, there are solutions available that can aid in protecting communities and rejuvenating ecosystems that were once thought to be lost," Anderson remarked.

Seniors aged 65 and above constitute an increasingly significant portion of the global population, especially in urban locales of low- and middle-income nations.

The report indicates that heat-related fatalities among older adults have surged by approximately 85 percent since the 1990s.

Additional dangers stem from worsening air quality and floods in coastal cities where older adults reside.

Older individuals, particularly those with ongoing health conditions, limited mobility, or frailty, are especially susceptible to heat-related health complications, including respiratory, cardiovascular, and metabolic disorders, as well as a higher risk of mortality.

The report advocates for the transformation of cities into pollution-free, resilient, and accessible environments featuring abundant vegetation. Essential strategies involve enhanced urban planning, community-driven disaster risk management, and improved access to climate information for older demographics.

Earlier this year, the UN Human Rights Council passed a new resolution aimed at developing an "international legally binding instrument on the human rights of older persons", which could potentially enhance safety for those most vulnerable to climate change.

Apart from the threats to older adults, the report also cautions about the revival of ancient microbes. Should global temperatures escalate beyond 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, this would drastically diminish the cryosphere in mass, which encompasses glaciers, seasonal snow, ice sheets and shelves, sea ice, seasonally frozen ground, and permafrost.

The report further identifies risks associated with the remobilization of chemicals that were outlawed and phased out decades ago.

Floods can expose such chemicals after they have accumulated in sediment over centuries.

Another emerging danger highlighted by the Frontiers 2025 Report is the risk posed by aging dams. While providing several benefits, dams can also adversely affect indigenous communities and those reliant on fishing, as well as harm ecosystems.

The removal of large, older dams that have become unsafe, outdated, or economically unviable is increasingly occurring in Europe and North America.

The report underscores the potential advantages of removing dams and barriers to restore natural river connectivity, benefiting biodiversity and ecosystems. Reversing river fragmentation and reinstating natural processes support the implementation of the UN's principles for ecosystem restoration initiatives.