How Climate Change Affects Ageing and Health in the UK
Most of us are used to hearing climate change discussed in one box and healthy ageing in another. A recent webinar argued that this split misses the point. At Unpicking the web: climate change and health, Georgina Bedenham, Head of Climate and Disaster Risk at the Government Actuary’s Department, explained how systems thinking can help us see the links between climate change, population ageing and health. The session was co-hosted by the International Longevity Centre UK, the ILC Global Alliance Climate Change Committee and GAD. For readers, that matters because it brought together public health, ageing and risk analysis rather than treating them as separate conversations.
If you are new to systems thinking, the simplest way to picture it is this: your health is shaped by more than a doctor’s appointment. Homes, transport, food, energy, local services, care networks and public budgets all play a part, especially as people get older. That was the thread running through Georgina Bedenham’s presentation. According to GAD, climate-related hazards can damage health directly, but they can also hit the systems around health. **What this means:** a flood or heatwave is not only a weather event. It can quickly become a health event, a care event and a public spending event too.
Some of the direct risks are easy to recognise. Flooding and storms can lead to injuries and mental health strain. Extreme heat can raise the risk of heat-related illness and dehydration, which becomes more serious when older people or people with existing health needs are affected. This matters because ageing changes how risk is felt. A very hot day may be uncomfortable for one person, but dangerous for someone who is frail, isolated or already unwell. When we talk about climate and health together, we are really talking about who can stay safe, recover quickly and get help when conditions turn harsh.
The indirect risks are quieter, but they can be just as serious. GAD pointed to the way climate shocks can strain infrastructure and disrupt healthcare delivery. If transport is damaged, buildings are affected or services are stretched, appointments, treatment and care can all become harder to access. There is also a wider money question. Climate-related harm can slow economic growth, and that can leave governments with tighter budgets for health and care. **Why this matters:** the damage does not stop when the storm passes. It can keep working through the system long after the headline event is over.
Georgina Bedenham also shared GAD’s ongoing work on a systems map linking climate-related hazards and mortality in the UK. The department says this has been co-developed using evidence and engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, so the aim is not to isolate one cause but to show how several causes can build on one another. A systems map will not predict every future event. What it can do is help officials, researchers and the public spot pressure points earlier. The webinar was also used to share emerging findings from the project and outline what comes next.
The discussion widened the view beyond the UK. Professor Liat Ayalon, from the School of Social Work in Israel, shared a case study from Togo showing how climate change can affect food security, social cohesion and migration among older people. Professor Torsten Kleinow, from the Research Centre for Longevity Risk at the University of Amsterdam, looked at heatwaves and short-term mortality spikes across Europe. The panel also drew on perspectives from South Africa, Bangladesh and elsewhere in Europe. That matters because climate-health risks are global, but they are not identical. The same heat, crop failure or service disruption can hit communities very differently depending on income, housing, geography and access to care.
GAD says this work is meant to strengthen actuarial analysis and support better policy and decision-making in a period of growing uncertainty. That may sound technical, but the public lesson is straightforward: climate change is not only about emissions targets or weather records. It is also about whether people can age safely, stay well and rely on the services around them. If you want to see the discussion in full, a recording of the event is available on the ILC UK webinar page. For students, teachers and curious readers, it is a useful example of how public bodies try to think ahead when one risk can trigger several others at once.