“Academic: Old People in Africa are Particularly Vulnerable to Climate Change”, By Eric Worrall
I’ll give Gary Haq half marks for mentioning air conditioning. It is pretty courageous these days for an academic to suggest energy expenditure can help solve a social problem.
Academic: Old People in Africa are Particularly Vulnerable to Climate Change
Essay by Eric Worrall
But lets ignore the obvious solution.
Why we need to talk about older people and climate change in Africa
Published: September 30, 2024 6.28pm AEST
Gary Haq
Senior Research Fellow at the Stockholm Environment Institute, University of York…
By 2050, older adults in Africa are projected to face significantly higher heat exposure due to rapid population growth and climate change, with an increase in extreme heat events. This will heighten health risks and put pressure on local services, especially in low-income areas with limited ability to cope with the strain.
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Urgent strategies are therefore needed to protect older people from extreme weather such as heatwaves. These include cooling infrastructure (air conditioning) and early warning systems that tell older people when it is getting dangerously hot. Climate change adaptation plans must be integrated with policies on ageing to protect older people.
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In Africa, older people are at greater risk because the continent has limited basic infrastructure. This is especially the case in rural areas, where access to healthcare, clean water and emergency services is often poor. Poverty, living alone, and depending on small-scale farming make them even more susceptible to extreme weather.
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… social protection systems such as cash transfer programmes must be improved to give financial help to vulnerable older people. Programmes that provide direct support and jobs in projects that protect against climate impacts are also a good idea.
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I’ll give Gary Haq half marks for mentioning air conditioning. It is pretty courageous these days for an academic to suggest energy expenditure can help solve a social problem.
But overlooking the obvious solution to funding that air conditioning, the solution which worked in the West, is just disappointing.
The only genuine solution to Africa’s money problems is capitalist prosperity. And the only route to lasting capitalist prosperity in today’s world is fossil fuel powered industrialisation and trade with other nations.