Climate Change's Impact on Older Populations Across the Americas

Ubaldo Almeida, a 61-year-old farmer from Cahuasqui, Ecuador, faces constant water supply issues at an altitude of 2,370 meters. Climate change has destabilized the ancient water canals established during the Inca era, and illegal mining threatens the region further.

Ubaldo adapted by shifting from traditional crops to cultivating herbs for cosmetics, which necessitates a reliable clean water supply. In nearby San Pedro de Casta, 75-year-old Gregorio Rios, a self-taught architect, is addressing similar challenges by restoring ancient water harvesting systems to combat drought conditions exacerbated by climate change in Peru and Bolivia.

William Singer III, known as Api'soomaahka, stands near a dry pond in the Kainai Nation, Alberta, at 60 years old. The declining water table poses a risk to the viability of his well. Api'soomaahka is actively restoring native prairie on his property, Naapi's Garden, to enhance ecosystem resilience and food security.

In Miami, Florida, 72-year-old Robert Reddick, a lifeguard at the Arcola Lake Senior Center, notes a shift in community activity due to extreme heat. The outdoor activities have shifted indoors, raising awareness about heat-related illnesses.

Meanwhile, 70-year-old Peter Lucey in Los Angeles engages in guerrilla tactics against climate change by planting trees on abandoned municipal land. In Brazil, 80-year-old Francisco Correia da Silva, known as Chico, remembers fishing in a once-mighty river in Rodeador, Minas Gerais.

He attributes the river's drying to monoculture farming that has cleared vegetation, leading to diminished rainfall. Maria das Gracas de Souza, a 74-year-old member of the Mora indigenous group in Manaus, recalls how last year's record drought dried up the Anaconda and Taruma rivers, severely impacting their fishing and leisure activities.

This situation has made finding fish increasingly difficult. These narratives illustrate how climate change disproportionately impacts older populations across the Americas, highlighting the urgent need for targeted climate policies that consider vulnerable demographics, according to El País.