Brisbane
Australia

Disasters in an Ageing World: Readiness, Resilience and Recovery

Organizer(s) Council on the Ageing - Queensland International Federation on Ageing, the
Venue
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
Date
-

Background

Globally the senior members of our communities usually feature highly in the death and injury statistics that arise from disasters. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) Head, Margareta Wahlström, stated in 2014:

‘The older person is often invisible in our communities until they show up in the mortality figures after a disaster event. Demographic change means we are living in an ageing world. It is important to include older persons in disaster management for both their improved protection and to make full use of their experience, skills and knowledge in support of that’. (UNISDR, 2014)

The seniors who are most vulnerable are those individuals who are particularly at risk of not surviving the disaster impact due to existing medical conditions and/or lack of safe refuge. Ongoing survival and recovery can be hampered by poor physical, psychological and social health conditions. Vulnerable seniors will have the need for extra support over that offered to the non-vulnerable before, during, and after a disaster incident, in functional areas, including but not limited to: maintaining independence, communication, housing, transportation, supervision and medical care.

It is also important to acknowledge that many seniors are fully able to take all-necessary measures to prepare for, survive and recover from a disaster event. Seniors are also actively involved in assisting in various capacities to help others in a time of need.

Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR) held in March 2015 agreed on the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. Guiding Principle 36 (a) (iv) of the Framework underlined the importance of the involvement of seniors in disaster management: ‘Older persons have years of knowledge, skills and wisdom, which are invaluable assets to reduce disaster risk, and they should be included in the design of policies, plans and mechanisms, including for early warning’.

Abstract Overview

The IFA 13th Global Conference on Ageing, to-date, has received a broad range of disaster related papers from countries, including the United States, Canada, China, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Indonesia. The papers explore the problems faced by older adults in preparing for and surviving disasters across the world.

Topics being canvassed include:

  • Post Sendai: Engaging and enlisting older people in disaster risk reduction at community level
  • Adult immunisation and disease reduction
  • Human Security and Resilience
  • Disaster experiences and learnings from around the world
  • Health, social and economic implications of disasters for the aged

Registration

Register now to add your voice to the discussion at the IFA 13th Global Conference in Ageing (early bird discount ending on 22 March).

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