Słowa kluczowe
Triple planetary crisis
Climate vulnerability
Environmental resilience
Disaster risk reduction
Inclusive governance
Kategorie
Jak cytować
Abstrakt
The contemporary world is facing a convergence of interconnected environmental challenges—climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution—widely recognized as the triple planetary crisis. Together, these crises pose escalating risks to human health, livelihoods, and social systems, with disproportionate impacts on vulnerable population groups. Elderly populations are particularly at risk due to age-related physiological sensitivity, limited mobility, social isolation, and economic dependency, all of which constrain their capacity to anticipate, cope with, and recover from environmental stressors.
Climate change intensifies extreme weather events such as heatwaves, floods, and storms, leading to increased morbidity and mortality among older adults. Concurrently, biodiversity loss undermines ecosystem services essential to elderly well-being, including food security, traditional medicinal resources, and mental health benefits derived from nature. Pollution further compounds these risks by aggravating chronic respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological conditions that disproportionately affect aging populations. Despite these heightened vulnerabilities, elderly individuals also possess significant resilience shaped by accumulated life experience, social cohesion, cultural values, and traditional ecological knowledge. Recognizing and strengthening these resilience capacities is essential for effective and inclusive environmental governance.
Bibliografia
Aboderin, I., & Beard, J. R. (2015). Older people’s health in sub-Saharan Africa. The Lancet, 385(9968), e9–e11. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61602-0
Aldrich, D. P., & Meyer, M. A. (2015). Social capital and community resilience. American Behavioral Scientist, 59(2), 254–269. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764214550299
Barragan-Jason, G. (2023). Psychological and physical connections with nature. ScienceDirect. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006320722003950
Basu, R., & Samet, J. M. (2002). Relation between elevated ambient temperature and mortality: A review of the epidemiologic evidence. Epidemiologic Reviews, 24(2), 190–202. https://doi.org/10.1093/epirev/mxf007
Beck, M., Brook, R. D., & Rajagopalan, S. (2020). Air pollution and cardiovascular disease in the elderly. Current Opinion in Cardiology, 35(5), 539–546. https://doi.org/10.1097/HCO.0000000000000772
Béné, C. (2020). Resilience of local food systems and links to food security—A review of some important concepts in the context of COVID-19 and other shocks. Food Security, 12(4), 805–822. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-020-01076-1
Berkes, F. (2018). Sacred ecology (4th ed.). Routledge.
Bhandari, M. P. (2021). Climate change impacts on agriculture, a case study of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. SocioEconomic Challenges, 5(2), 5–. https://doi.org/10.21272/sec.5(2).5-.2021
Bhandari, M. P., & Shvindina, H. (Eds.). (2021). Social inequality as a global challenge: Scenario, impacts, and consequences. River Publishers.
Bhandari, M. P. (2025). Environmental transformation and its acceleration in Nepal: From known history to the contemporary situation. River Publishers.
Bhandari, M. P. (2025a). Environmentalism – pathways to life for humanity and sustainability. River Publishers.
Bloom, D. E., Canning, D., & Lubet, A. (2015). Global population aging: Facts, challenges, solutions & perspectives. Daedalus, 144(2), 80–92. https://doi.org/10.1162/DAED_a_00332
Brook, R. D., Rajagopalan, S., Pope, C. A., Brook, J. R., Bhatnagar, A., Diez-Roux, A. V., ... & Kaufman, J. D. (2010). Particulate matter air pollution and cardiovascular disease: An update to the scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation, 121(21), 2331–2378. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0b013e3181dbece1
Cacioppo, S., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2018). Loneliness in the modern age: An evolutionary theory of loneliness (ETL). Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 58, 127–197. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.aesp.2018.03.001
Carson, W. O. (2024). Examining Indigenous identity as a protective factor in mental well-being research in the United States: A scoping review. PMC. Retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11594160/
Carter, J., Bell, S., & Stojanovic, T. (2019). Environmental inequalities and aging populations: Towards environmental justice. Local Environment, 24(2), 101–115. https://doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2018.1561654
Cattan, M., White, M., Bond, J., & Learmonth, A. (2005). Preventing social isolation and loneliness among older people: A systematic review of health promotion interventions. Ageing and Society, 25(1), 41–67. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X04002594
Chang, C. (2024). A lower connection to nature is related to lower mental health. PMC. Retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10954714/
Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2018). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Cunningham, A. B. (2001). Applied ethnobotany: People, wild plant use and conservation. Earthscan.
Cutter, S. L., Boruff, B. J., & Shirley, W. L. (2003). Social vulnerability to environmental hazards. Social Science Quarterly, 84(2), 242–261. https://doi.org/10.1111/1540-6237.8402002
Dean, J. H. (2018). Is Nature Relatedness Associated with Better Mental and Physical Health? PMC. Retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6069224/
Díaz, S., Settele, J., Brondízio, E. S., Ngo, H. T., Agard, J., Arneth, A., ... & Zayas, C. N. (2019). Pervasive human-driven decline of life on Earth points to the need for transformative change. Science, 366(6471), eaax3100. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aax3100
Ebi, K. L., Hess, J. J., & Hess, J. (2021). Health risks of climate change: An overview of the literature. Annual Review of Public Health, 42, 295–315. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-090419-102330
Fahrni, M. L., Corvalan, C., & Kjellstrom, T. (2020). Climate change and human health: Risks and responses. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9241565032
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). (2019). The state of the world’s biodiversity for food and agriculture. FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. https://www.fao.org/3/CA3129EN/CA3129EN.pdf
Fothergill, A., & Peek, L. (2015). Children of Katrina. University of Texas Press.
Hagenlocher, M., Castro, M., & Kienberger, S. (2019). Spatial vulnerability assessment for urban populations exposed to climate extremes. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 41, 101308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2019.101308
Haines, A., & Ebi, K. (2019). The imperative for climate action to protect health. The New England Journal of Medicine, 380(3), 263–273. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra1807873
Hajat, S., O’Connor, M., & Kosatsky, T. (2014). Health effects of hot weather: From awareness of risk factors to effective health protection. The Lancet, 375(9717), 856–863. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61711-6
Hajat, S., Vardoulakis, S., Heaviside, C., & Eggen, B. (2014). Climate change effects on human health: Projections of temperature-related mortality for the UK during the 2020s, 2050s and 2080s. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 68(7), 641–648. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2013-202449
Hansen, A., Bi, P., Saniotis, A., Nitschke, M., Pisaniello, D., Newbury, J., & Kitson, A. (2018). Extreme heat and older persons: Narratives of risk, resilience and adaptation. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(5), 937. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15050937
Harlan, S. L., Brazel, A. J., Prashad, L., Stefanov, W. L., & Larsen, L. (2014). Neighborhood microclimates and vulnerability to heat stress. Social Science & Medicine, 63(11), 2847–2863. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2006.08.011
HelpAge International. (2021). Older people in emergencies: Considerations for resilience and adaptation. HelpAge International. https://www.helpage.orghttps://www.helpage.org/resources/publications
Hunter, R. F., Cleland, C., Cleary, A., Droomers, M., Wheeler, B. W., Sinnett, D., ... & Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J. (2019). Environmental, health, wellbeing, social, and equity effects of urban green space interventions: A meta-narrative evidence synthesis. Environment International, 130, 104923. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2019.104923
Hutton, D., Kim, R., & Russell, J. (2016). The impact of disasters on older adults: Social, health, and economic consequences. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 59(6), 448–467. https://doi.org/10.1080/01634372.2016.1193444
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (2021). Climate change 2021: The physical science basis. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009157896
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (2022). Climate change 2022: Impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009325844
IPCC. (2022). Climate change 2022: Impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009325844
Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). (2019). Summary for policymakers of the global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services. IPBES Secretariat. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3553579
IPBES. (2019). Global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services: Summary for policymakers. IPBES Secretariat. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3553579
Jaishankar, M., Tseten, T., Anbalagan, N., Mathew, B. B., & Beeregowda, K. N. (2014). Toxicity, mechanism, and health effects of some heavy metals. Interdisciplinary Toxicology, 7(2), 60–72. https://doi.org/10.2478/intox-2014-0009
Jiang, Y., Yan, Y., Wang, L., & Zhang, X. (2019). Soil contamination and human health risks: Implications for elderly populations. Environmental Pollution, 248, 992–1002. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2019.02.085
Johns, T., Powell, B., Maundu, P., & Eyzaguirre, P. B. (2013). Agricultural biodiversity as a link between traditional food systems and contemporary development, social integrity, and ecological health. Journal of Food Science, 78(9), R124–R137. https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.12101
Keating, N., Eales, J., & Phillips, J. E. (2021). Age-friendly communities in a changing climate. The Gerontologist, 61(2), 145–154. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnaa116
Kenney, W. L., & Munce, T. A. (2003). Invited review: Aging and human temperature regulation. Journal of Applied Physiology, 95(6), 2598–2603. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00202.2003
Khoury, C. K., Bjorkman, A. D., Dempewolf, H., Ramirez-Villegas, J., Guarino, L., Jarvis, A., ... & Struik, P. C. (2014). Increasing homogeneity in global food supplies and the implications for food security. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(11), 4001–4006. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1313490111
Klinenberg, E. (2002). Heat wave: A social autopsy of disaster in Chicago. University of Chicago Press.
Landrigan, P. J., Fuller, R., Acosta, N. J., Adeyi, O., Arnold, R., Baldé, A. B., … Zhong, M. (2018). The Lancet Commission on pollution and health. The Lancet, 391(10119), 462–512. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32345-0
Lawton, M. P., & Nahemow, L. (1973). Ecology and the aging process. In C. Eisdorfer & M. P. Lawton (Eds.), The psychology of adult development and aging (pp. 619–674). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10044-020
Lee, R., & Mason, A. (2014). Is low fertility really a problem? Population aging, dependency, and consumption. Science, 346(6206), 229–234. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1250542
Marmot, M., Friel, S., Bell, R., Houweling, T. A., & Taylor, S. (2008). Closing the gap in a generation: Health equity through action on the social determinants of health. The Lancet, 372(9650), 1661–1669. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(08)61690-6
Mora, C., Dousset, B., Caldwell, I. R., Powell, F. E., Geronimo, R. C., Bielecki, C. R., ... & Trauernicht, C. (2017). Global risk of deadly heat. Nature Climate Change, 7(7), 501–506. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate3322
Openshaw, J. J., Lucas, N., & Beeson, J. G. (2017). Ageing and immunity to malaria. Clinical & Experimental Immunology, 187(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1111/cei.12900
Parham, P. E., & Michael, E. (2010). Modeling the effects of climate change on malaria transmission. Environmental Health Perspectives, 118(5), 620–626. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.0901256
Peacock, W. G., Morrow, B. H., & Gladwin, H. (2005). Hurricane Katrina: Social–demographic impacts on vulnerability and recovery. Routledge.
Phillipson, C. (2013). Ageing. Polity Press.
Plouffe, L., Kalache, A., & Leclerc, A. (2018). Global perspectives on ageing and the environment: Challenges and policy responses. Journal of Population Ageing, 11(3), 235–251. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12062-018-9222-9
Power, M. C., Weisskopf, M. G., Alexeeff, S. E., Coull, B. A., Spiro, A., & Schwartz, J. (2016). Traffic-related air pollution and cognitive function in a cohort of older men. Environmental Health Perspectives, 124(3), 396–402. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408881
Richardson, M. (2025). Human connection to nature has declined by 60% over 200 years, a study finds. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/aug/09/human-connection-to-nature-has-declined-60-in-200-years-study-finds
Rockström, J., Steffen, W., Noone, K., Persson, Å., Chapin, F. S., Lambin, E., ... & Foley, J. (2009). A safe operating space for humanity. Nature, 461(7263), 472–475. https://doi.org/10.1038/461472a
Ryan, S. J., Carlson, C. J., Mordecai, E. A., & Johnson, L. R. (2019). Global expansion and redistribution of Aedes-borne virus transmission risk with climate change. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 13(3), e0007213. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0007213
Schraufnagel, D. E., Balmes, J. R., De Matteis, S., Hoffman, B., Kim, W. J., Pérez-Padilla, R., ... & Thurston, G. D. (2019). Health benefits of air pollution reduction. Annals of the American Thoracic Society, 16(12), 1478–1487. https://doi.org/10.1513/AnnalsATS.201907-538CME
Shankar, D., Dubey, A., & Kuppusamy, R. (2017). Traditional medicinal plants: A source of health care for the elderly. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 198, 12–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2016.12.001
Steffen, W., Richardson, K., Rockström, J., Cornell, S. E., Fetzer, I., Bennett, E. M., ... & Sörlin, S. (2015). Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet. Science, 347(6223), 1259855. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1259855
Stone, B., Vargo, J., & Habeeb, D. (2010). Managing climate change in cities: Will climate action plans work? Landscape and Urban Planning, 96(4), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2010.01.001
Tusting, L. S., Ippolito, M. M., Willey, B., Kleinschmidt, I., & Dorsey, G. (2016). The evidence for improving housing to reduce malaria: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Malaria Journal, 15, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-016-1506-8
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). (2021). Making peace with nature: A scientific blueprint to tackle the climate, biodiversity, and pollution emergencies. UNEP. https://www.unep.org/resources/making-peace-nature
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). (2020). Words into action guidelines: Disaster displacement. UNDRR. https://www.undrr.org/publication/words-action-guidelines-disaster-displacement
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). (2022). Guidelines for inclusive disaster risk reduction. https://www.undrr.org/publication/guidelines-inclusive-disaster-risk-reduction
United Nations. (2023). World social report 2023: Leaving no one behind in an ageing world. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. https://desapublications.un.org/publications/world-social-report-2023
van Deursen, A. J. A. M., & van Dijk, J. A. G. M. (2019). The first-level digital divide shifts from inequalities in physical access to inequalities in material access. New Media & Society, 21(2), 354–375. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444818797082
Vardoulakis, S., Dimitroulopoulou, C., Thornes, J., et al. (2018). Impact of climate change on the health of elderly populations: Methods and evidence. Environmental Health, 17(1), 128. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-018-0437-8
Vert, C., Sánchez-Benavides, G., Martínez, D., Llop, S., Márquez, S., Ballester, F., … Sunyer, J. (2017). Long-term exposure to air pollution and cognitive function among older adults. Epidemiology, 28(1), 67–76. https://doi.org/10.1097/EDE.0000000000000562
Wiles, J. L., Wild, K., Kerse, N., & Allen, R. E. S. (2012). Resilience from the point of view of older people: “There is still life beyond a funny knee”. Social Science & Medicine, 74(3), 416–424. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.11.005
World Health Organization (WHO). (2017). Water pollution and human health. WHO. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drinking-water
World Health Organization (WHO). (2021). Air pollution. https://www.who.int/health-topics/air-pollution
World Health Organization (WHO). (2021). Climate change and health. WHO. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health
World Health Organization (WHO). (2021). Decade of healthy ageing: Baseline report. WHO. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240017900
World Health Organization (WHO). (2021). Vector-borne diseases. WHO. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/vector-borne-diseases
World Health Organization. (2007). Global age-friendly cities: A guide. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241547307
World Health Organization. (2021). Decade of healthy ageing: Baseline report. WHO. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240017900
Wu, N. (2022). The Relationship Between Connectedness to Nature and Well-Being. George Fox University Digital Commons. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1449&context=psyd
This research was funded by Renewable World Nepal. The authors express their sincere gratitude to Thakur Thapa, Manoj Prasad Ojha, Aarju Karki, Bhawana Dhungana, and the staff of the Kathmandu Office for their valuable support and cooperation throughout the study. We would also like to sincerely thank Mr. Manoj Ayer, Mr. Hari Bhadra Acharya, Mr. Manoj Ojha, and Mr. Binaya Jha for their supervision and support during the fieldwork. We are also deeply grateful to Warden Chandra Shekher Chaudhary and all the staff of SPNP, including the army personnel, for consistently ensuring our safety and well-being. Finally, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the entire KAFCOL family for their continued support.
Utwór dostępny jest na licencji Creative Commons Uznanie autorstwa – Użycie niekomercyjne 4.0 Międzynarodowe.
Prawa autorskie (c) 2026 Pratibha Koirala Pandit