Extreme Weather Events and Vulnerability of Older People: Experiences from Bangladesh and Other Asian Countries
暫譯: 極端氣候事件與老年人的脆弱性：來自孟加拉及其他亞洲國家的經驗
Ali, MD Isahaque, Arunachalam, Dharmalingam, Forbes-Mewett, Helen
相關主題
商品描述
This book examines the critical intersection of demographic ageing and climate change in Bangladesh, including comparison with other Asia countries. Located in the dynamic delta system of Southeast Asia, Bangladesh is constantly exposed to extreme weather events, the frequency and intensity of which are exacerbated by climate change. Although these disasters affect the entire population, this book argues that older people are at a distinct and disproportionate risk due to their reduced ability to adapt to severe climate-related shocks. Drawing on extensive qualitative field research, the book provides a detailed account of the vulnerability of older adults in a coastal sub-district in Bangladesh. The analysis draws on in-depth interviews with older men and women, whose narratives provide a powerful perspective on life before, during, and after catastrophic weather events. These accounts reveal an ongoing cycle of vulnerability in which cyclones and floods not only destroy material assets such as homes and livelihoods but also cause profound physical and psychological trauma. The resulting disruption of social support networks, loss of income, and forced migration to survive further exacerbate their insecurity. The study identifies several major causes of vulnerability, including the geophysical exposure of the coastal region, the prevalence of non-resilient housing, profound income insecurity, and a high degree of dependence on family support systems. The analysis carefully distinguishes between formal state initiatives, such as the Old Age Allowance, and informal support systems rooted in community and kinship. It shows how formal programmes can strengthen financial stability and ensure access to essentials, while informal networks provide immediate support and practical assistance in the aftermath of a disaster. By synthesising the concepts of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptation, this book offers evidence-based insights into one of the critical challenges of our time. The findings and recommendations are essential for researchers, policy makers and practitioners in the fields of gerontology, disaster management, and climate adaptation, and are an important resource for efforts to protect vulnerable older populations in Bangladesh and other climate-affected regions around the world, in particular in other Asian countries.
商品描述(中文翻譯)
本書探討了孟加拉國人口老化與氣候變遷之間的關鍵交集，並與其他亞洲國家進行比較。孟加拉國位於東南亞動態的三角洲系統中，持續面臨極端氣候事件，這些事件的頻率和強度因氣候變遷而加劇。儘管這些災難影響整個人口，本書主張老年人因其適應嚴重氣候相關衝擊的能力降低而面臨獨特且不成比例的風險。本書基於廣泛的質性田野研究，詳細描述了孟加拉國一個沿海次區域老年人的脆弱性。分析基於對老年男性和女性的深入訪談，他們的敘述提供了對於災難性氣候事件前、中、後生活的強有力視角。這些敘述揭示了一個持續的脆弱性循環，其中颱風和洪水不僅摧毀了如住房和生計等物質資產，還造成深刻的身心創傷。社會支持網絡的中斷、收入的喪失以及為了生存而被迫遷移進一步加劇了他們的不安全感。研究確定了幾個主要的脆弱性原因，包括沿海地區的地理暴露、非韌性住房的普遍性、深刻的收入不安全感，以及對家庭支持系統的高度依賴。分析仔細區分了正式的國家倡議（如老年津貼）與根植於社區和親屬的非正式支持系統。它顯示了正式計劃如何增強財務穩定性並確保獲得基本生活所需，而非正式網絡則在災後提供即時支持和實際協助。通過綜合暴露、敏感性和適應的概念，本書提供了基於證據的見解，針對我們時代的一個關鍵挑戰。這些發現和建議對於老年學、災害管理和氣候適應領域的研究者、政策制定者和實務工作者至關重要，並且是保護孟加拉國及其他受氣候影響地區脆弱老年人口的重要資源，特別是在其他亞洲國家。
作者簡介
Dr Md Isahaque Ali is a Social researcher specialising in the social dimensions of climate change and ageing. His work is based on extensive field research and focuses on the lived experiences of marginalised populations in disaster-prone coastal areas of Bangladesh. He received his PhD from the School of Social Sciences at Monash University, Australia. His professional background includes working as an Assistant Professor of Social Welfare at a Government College affiliated with the National University, Bangladesh. His research interests include social protection, development policy, climate change adaptation, and the rights of vulnerable groups, including older adults and children.
Dharma Arunachalam is a Professor of Sociology and a social demographer in the School of Social Sciences, Monash University, Australia. His current research focuses on migration, identity, intermarriage, and integration in Australia, and family formation in India and Australia. His recent publications include a co-authored monograph, Identity and Belonging among Chinese Australians (Springer, 2023), and a co-edited volume, Creating Social Cohesion in an Interdependent World: Experiences of Australia and Japan (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016).
Helen Forbes-Mewett is a Professor of Sociology in the School of Social Sciences at Monash University and a Senior Fellow of the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA). Her interdisciplinary research addresses critical issues of human security, resilient communities, migration, cultural diversity, and social integration, focusing on vulnerable populations. In 2022, she was awarded the A. Noam Chomsky North Star Medal of Lifetime Achievement. She is a prolific author with five books, including International Student Security (Cambridge University Press, 2010), The New Security: Individual, Community and Cultural Experiences (Palgrave Macmillan, 2019), and Vulnerability in a Mobile World (Emerald, 2020). Her recent work examines the social impacts of disasters, including the experiences of international students during the COVID-19 pandemic and community resilience in the aftermath of bushfires.
作者簡介(中文翻譯)
Dr Md Isahaque Ali 是一位社會研究者，專注於氣候變遷和老齡化的社會面向。他的工作基於廣泛的實地研究，重點關注孟加拉國災害易發沿海地區邊緣化人口的生活經驗。他在澳大利亞莫納什大學社會科學學院獲得博士學位。他的專業背景包括在孟加拉國國立大學附屬的政府學院擔任社會福利助理教授。他的研究興趣包括社會保障、發展政策、氣候變遷適應以及脆弱群體的權利，包括老年人和兒童。
Dharma Arunachalam 是澳大利亞莫納什大學社會科學學院的社會學教授和社會人口學家。他目前的研究重點是澳大利亞的移民、身份、跨國婚姻和融合，以及印度和澳大利亞的家庭形成。他最近的出版物包括合著的專著《Identity and Belonging among Chinese Australians》（Springer, 2023）和共同編輯的卷冊《Creating Social Cohesion in an Interdependent World: Experiences of Australia and Japan》（Palgrave Macmillan, 2016）。
Helen Forbes-Mewett 是澳大利亞莫納什大學社會科學學院的社會學教授，也是澳大利亞國際教育協會（IEAA）的高級研究員。她的跨學科研究針對人類安全、韌性社區、移民、文化多樣性和社會整合等關鍵問題，重點關注脆弱人口。2022年，她獲得了A. Noam Chomsky北極星終身成就獎。她是一位多產的作者，出版了五本書籍，包括《International Student Security》（劍橋大學出版社，2010）、《The New Security: Individual, Community and Cultural Experiences》（Palgrave Macmillan，2019）和《Vulnerability in a Mobile World》（Emerald，2020）。她最近的研究探討了災難的社會影響，包括國際學生在COVID-19大流行期間的經歷以及叢林大火後的社區韌性。
