KAIST has revealed a complex interplay between this demographic shift and a community’s ability to adapt to climate change. (Image courtesy of Kobiz Media)
SEOUL, Apr. 10 (Korea Bizwire) – As populations around the world continue to age, a new study by researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has revealed a complex interplay between this demographic shift and a community’s ability to adapt to climate change – a first-of-its-kind global analysis.
The research team, led by professor Kim Seung-Kyum from KAIST’s Graduate School of Future Strategy, examined the impact of aging populations on climate change adaptation strategies across 10 countries in Southeast Asia.
Their findings uncovered that communities (cities) with growing elderly populations experienced a reduction in the supply of green infrastructure, such as parks, forests, and water bodies, resulting in heightened vulnerability to climate change impacts.
This conclusion was reached after meticulously tracking and analyzing policy changes related to climate adaptation across 26,885 communities in Southeast Asia over the past two decades, according to the research team.
The study pioneers a new area of research that seeks multidimensional and interdisciplinary solutions to climate change, taking into account socioeconomic transformations.
“We evaluated the dynamics of aging populations and the demand and supply of green infrastructure from the perspective of strengthening climate change adaptation efforts,” explained Kim Jisu, a doctoral student on the research team.
Notably, the researchers analyzed the impact of increasing elderly populations on green infrastructure spaces in the context of cities’ socioeconomic changes, emphasizing the need to consider demographic shifts when formulating climate adaptation policies.
The findings are expected to make a significant contribution to the development of region-specific climate change response strategies tailored to aging, low-birth-rate societies.
“This study provides important implications for many countries, including South Korea, which are facing compound crises such as climate change, low birth rates, and aging populations,” said Kim Seung-Kyum.
The study has been published in the prestigious international journal Nature Climate Change.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
