National Research Report · June 2026
Climate Resilient Ageing
Ensuring Care, Dignity & Agency
A nationwide study on how older persons across India navigate climate risks — and what must change to ensure their care, dignity and agency.
2,224
Older persons surveyed
10
States across India
20
Districts covered
6
Hazard types studied
78%
Faced a climate hazard in past 3 years
About the Study
India is undergoing a rapid demographic transition at a time when climate change is intensifying the frequency and impact of environmental stresses — heatwaves, droughts, flooding, coastal erosion and water scarcity. Older persons are particularly at risk because climate risks interact with age-related vulnerabilities in complex ways.
This national research report — Climate Resilient Ageing: Ensuring Care, Dignity and Agency — examines how low-intensity and slow-onset climate hazards affect older persons across diverse rural contexts in India, using an Intersectional Place Perspective (IPP) framework.
The IPP framework recognises that climate-related risks are shaped by the interaction of social identities and place-based conditions. Age, gender, caste, disability, poverty and geography combine to create layered vulnerabilities — and layered strengths. The study draws on a mixed-methods design combining a quantitative survey of 2,224 older persons with 60 FGDs, 30 stakeholder KIIs and 10 life histories across 10 states and 20 districts.
The IPP Framework — 5 Dimensions
◈ The Five Lenses of the IPP Framework ◈
01
Intersectionality
How age, gender, caste, disability & poverty combine — not additively, but multiplicatively — to create compounded disadvantage for older persons during climate crises.
02
Place-Based Risk
Geography determines hazard type, frequency, and recovery resources. A flood-affected older woman in a remote hill district faces fundamentally different challenges than one in an urban area.
03
Layered Disadvantage
Sequential disasters strip away coping resources. Each climate event makes recovery from the next harder — creating a deepening spiral of vulnerability for already-marginalised older persons.
04
Structural Inequalities
Policy and institutional barriers — biometric failures, inaccessible shelters, exclusionary reconstruction criteria — systematically shut out marginalised older persons from disaster response systems.
05
Care Ecosystems
The invisible network of family — especially women — that sustains older persons must be recognised and supported. Climate disasters that burden or displace caregivers directly reduce care for older persons.
78%
experienced at least one climate hazard in the past 3 years
65%
live in kutcha or semi-pucca houses — structurally vulnerable to climate shocks
46%
report a long-term impairment limiting their daily activity
94%
receive care exclusively from family members with no formal support
59%
have never received any formal education — compounding exclusion barriers
10 States, 20 Districts — Study Geography
Click any highlighted state or location pin to explore its case study
🗺️
Click a highlighted state or pin
to explore its case study
Uttarakhand · Case Study 8
Uttarkashi District
Mountain flash-flood communities
⛰️ Flash Floods
In steep mountain terrain, flash floods arrive with almost no warning and cut off villages for days. Most working-age adults have migrated to cities, leaving older persons — often women — to manage disaster alone, without evacuation support, communication or institutional help.
Youth out-migration leaves elder-only households to face floods alone
Mountain terrain makes evacuation life-threatening for mobility-impaired elders
Communication blackouts leave older persons without information or rescue
Bihar · Case Study 3
Sitamarhi District
Flood-prone lowlands
🌊 Recurring Floods
Annual inundation exposes the invisible burden carried by older women who remain behind while younger family members migrate for work. Without mobility, income or social protection, each flood season deepens their isolation and depletes their small assets.
Migration leaves older women as sole household managers during floods
Pension amounts are insufficient to cover flood recovery costs
Cumulative flood impact erodes resilience year on year
Gujarat · Case Study 4
The Dangs District
Tribal forest region
🔥 Climate Extremes
In this remote tribal district, older persons navigate compounding climate extremes — unseasonal rains, scorching heat and erratic winters. Forest-based livelihoods are deteriorating and health systems remain distant, leaving older tribal persons highly exposed with little recourse.
Forest-dependent livelihoods directly undermined by climate change
Tribal older persons face compounded exclusion from formal safety nets
Seasonal climate extremes challenge year-round wellbeing
Madhya Pradesh · Case Study 10
Guna District
Central India
🌊 Flash Floods
Flash floods in Guna arrive suddenly and recede quickly, but for older persons the damage is lasting. Poor housing, scattered rural settlements and weak social protection mean older persons must piece together recovery from whatever informal resources they can access.
Flash flood damage to kutcha housing rarely covered by relief schemes
Social protection gap leaves older persons dependent on informal networks
Recovery is longer, harder and less complete for older persons
Odisha · Case Study 1
Gajapati District
Narayanpur village
🌀 Cyclone
Kamala Raut, 70+, survived a powerful cyclone but found herself trapped in a bureaucratic catch-22: having received a prior housing grant under Indira Awas, she was deemed ineligible for post-disaster reconstruction — even as her walls lay collapsed in mud.
Early warning worked — but the recovery system did not
Prior housing benefits became a barrier to disaster assistance
SHG loans and family labour were the real recovery safety net
Maharashtra · Case Study 6
Yavatmal District
Kalegaon village
🔥 Heatwave
Savitri Bai, 85+, is blind and immobile — completely dependent on her daughter. As heatwaves intensify, her tin-roof house becomes dangerously hot. Her daughter cannot leave to earn wages. No heatwave response mechanism has ever reached them.
Heatwaves amplify disability and poverty into a triple burden
Informal caregivers bear a hidden economic cost with zero recognition
No targeted heatwave response exists for bedridden older persons
Andhra Pradesh · Case Study 2
Krishna District
Coastal delta communities
🌊 Floods & Cyclone
Recurring multi-hazard exposure in Krishna’s coastal delta communities reveals how older persons with compounding vulnerabilities — poor housing, loss of livelihoods, mobility limitations — face disproportionate impacts from each successive flood or cyclone.
Multi-hazard exposure demands multi-system response
Older persons with impairments are last to evacuate, first to suffer
Livelihood recovery lags far behind housing recovery
Karnataka · Case Study 9
Yadgir District
Drought-prone interior
☀️ Drought
In Yadgir, slow-onset water scarcity has collapsed agricultural livelihoods over successive seasons. Older persons — deprived of farming income — face deepening food insecurity, while the burden of water collection falls increasingly on them as youth migrate.
Slow-onset drought erodes livelihood security with no dramatic trigger for relief
Water collection becomes a dangerous physical burden for older persons
Drought triggers migration, deepening older persons’ isolation
Kerala · Case Study 5
Wayanad District
Hilly terrain
⛰️ Landslide & Flood
The devastating Wayanad landslide tested the limits of community resilience. Older persons with mobility limitations were disproportionately at risk during rapid-onset disaster, and post-disaster rehabilitation has been slow to address their specific care and accessibility needs.
Rapid-onset disasters leave no time for mobility-impaired older persons to escape
Rehabilitation camps lack age-appropriate facilities
Community networks were critical first responders for older persons
Tamil Nadu · Case Study 7
Ramanathapuram District
Coastal fishing communities
🌀 Flash Floods & Cyclone
In Ramanathapuram’s coastal communities, older fishers and their families face cyclones and flash floods. Fishing livelihoods have collapsed over repeated seasons, and older persons — unable to migrate — are left managing household recovery alone with no institutional support.
Coastal older persons are most exposed and least mobile during cyclones
Fishing livelihood collapse deepens post-disaster economic vulnerability
Women elders manage recovery without income or institutional support
Report Chapters
Click any chapter to open the full storybook reader — navigate page by page with full report content
Disabled
01
Front Matter
Preface
Foreword from HelpAge India leadership
Disabled
02
Front Matter
Acknowledgements
Research team, partners and field staff
Disabled
03
Front Matter
Abbreviations & Glossary
Key terms and acronyms used in the report
✦
Report Overview
Executive Summary — Key findings, survey scope & recommendations
5 pages · Statistics · Hazard exposure · Elder voices · Policy recommendations
01
Chapter 1
Introduction — Two Crises, One Population
4 pages · IPP framework · Study objectives · Research context
Preview Soon
02
Chapter 2
Literature Review — Ageing, Disasters & Climate Change
3 pages · DRR framework · Policy gaps · Intersectionality
Preview Soon
03
Chapter 3
Research Methodology
3 pages · 2,224 surveys · 60 FGDs · 30 KIIs · 10 life histories
Preview Soon
04
Chapter 4
Socio-Demographic Profile of Older Persons
5 pages · Demographics · Housing · Disability · Climate exposure
Preview Soon
05
Chapter 5
Care Provision & Caregiving Burden
3 pages · Care providers · Adequacy gaps · IPP lens
Preview Soon
06
Chapter 6
Livelihoods & Economic Vulnerability
2 pages · Income sources · Climate impact · IPP lens
Preview Soon
07
Chapter 7
Health Status & Healthcare Access
2 pages · Morbidity · Health barriers · IPP lens
Preview Soon
08
Chapter 8
Social Support & Family Networks
2 pages · Emergency support · Family networks · IPP lens
Preview Soon
09
Chapter 9
Social Protection Schemes & Access
2 pages · PDS 93% · Pension access · Scheme barriers
Preview Soon
10
Chapter 10
Conclusions & Recommendations
4 pages · CRI findings · Policy recommendations · Way forward
10 Case Studies Across India
Explore community-level stories from 10 districts — life histories through an IPP lens
All Hazards
🌀 Cyclone
🌊 Flood
🔥 Heatwave
☀️ Drought
⛰️ Landslide
🌀 Cyclone
Kamala Raut, 70+, survived a devastating cyclone but found herself trapped in a bureaucratic paradox — her prior housing grant under Indira Awas made her ineligible for post-disaster reconstruction support, even as her walls lay collapsed.
Early warning worked — the recovery system did not
Prior housing benefits became a barrier to disaster assistance
SHG loans and family labour were the real recovery net
🌊 Floods & Cyclone
Recurring multi-hazard exposure in Krishna’s coastal delta communities reveals how older persons with compounding vulnerabilities face disproportionate impacts from each successive flood or cyclone, with livelihood recovery lagging far behind housing.
Multi-hazard exposure demands multi-system response
Older persons with impairments are last to evacuate, first to suffer
Livelihood recovery lags far behind housing recovery
🌊 Recurring Floods
Annual inundation exposes the invisible burden carried by older women who remain behind while younger family members migrate for work. Without mobility, income or social protection, each flood season deepens isolation and depletes whatever small assets they hold.
Migration leaves older women as sole household managers during floods
Pension amounts insufficient to cover flood recovery costs
Cumulative flood impact erodes resilience year on year
🔥 Climate Extremes
In The Dangs, a remote tribal district, older persons navigate compounding climate extremes — unseasonal rains, scorching heat and erratic winters. Forest-based livelihoods are deteriorating while health systems remain distant and inaccessible.
Forest-dependent livelihoods directly undermined by climate change
Tribal older persons face compounded exclusion from formal safety nets
Seasonal climate extremes challenge year-round wellbeing
⛰️ Landslide & Flood
The Wayanad landslide tested the limits of community resilience. Older persons with mobility limitations were disproportionately at risk during this rapid-onset disaster, and post-disaster rehabilitation has been slow to address their specific care and accessibility needs.
Rapid-onset disasters leave no time for mobility-impaired older persons
Rehabilitation camps lack age-appropriate facilities
Community networks were critical first responders
🔥 Heatwave
Savitri Bai, 85+, is blind and immobile. As heatwaves intensify each summer, her tin-roof house becomes dangerously hot. Her daughter cannot leave to earn wages. No heatwave response mechanism has ever reached them — capturing the triple burden of disability, poverty and heat.
Heatwaves amplify disability and poverty into a triple burden
Informal caregivers bear a hidden economic cost with zero recognition
No targeted heatwave response exists for bedridden older persons
🌀 Flash Floods & Cyclone
In Ramanathapuram’s coastal communities, older fishers and their families face cyclones and flash floods with little warning. Fishing livelihoods have collapsed over repeated seasons, and older persons — unable to migrate — are left managing household recovery alone.
Coastal older persons are most exposed and least mobile during cyclones
Fishing livelihood collapse deepens post-disaster economic vulnerability
Women elders manage recovery without income or support
🌊 Flash Floods
In Uttarkashi’s steep mountain terrain, flash floods arrive with almost no warning and cut off villages for days. Most working-age adults have migrated, leaving older persons — often women — as the primary household members who must manage disaster entirely alone.
Youth out-migration creates elder-only households during floods
Mountain terrain makes evacuation life-threatening for older persons
Communication blackouts leave older persons without information or help
☀️ Drought
In Yadgir, one of Karnataka’s most drought-prone districts, slow-onset water scarcity has collapsed agricultural livelihoods over successive seasons. Older persons face deepening food insecurity while water collection burden falls on them as youth migrate.
Slow-onset drought erodes livelihood security with no dramatic trigger for relief
Water collection becomes a dangerous physical burden for older persons
Drought triggers migration, increasing older persons’ isolation
🌊 Flash Floods
Guna’s flash floods come suddenly and recede quickly, but for older persons the damage is lasting. Poor housing, scattered settlements and weak social protection mean older persons must piece together recovery from whatever informal resources they can access — with little institutional help.
Flash flood damage to kutcha housing rarely covered by relief schemes
Social protection gap leaves older persons dependent on informal networks
Recovery is longer, harder and less complete for older persons
Voices from the Ground
Direct testimony from older persons and their caregivers — in their own words
“What else can we do? We don’t have enough money for any business or trade. If we work hard, we eat, otherwise not. We don’t have help from anyone else.”
K
Kamala Raut
70+ · Cyclone survivor · Gajapati, Odisha
Housing
“I cannot leave her alone and go for work. As long as she had strength, she worked. Farming, bringing fodder, weaving bamboo — that is how the household survived. Now her strength is gone.”
D
Daughter of Savitri Bai
Caregiver · Yavatmal, Maharashtra · Heatwave
Caregiving
“Trees started falling near that school area, cracks appeared in the roof… We were in a state of panic for our lives, so how could we think about our house. At least our lives were saved.”
K
Kamala Raut
Cyclone shelter · Gajapati, Odisha
Evacuation
“It was not like this before. Every year the heat is becoming stronger. This year it is much worse. Since the Neem tree was cut down, there is no shade. The fan only blows hot air.”
S
Savitri Bai
85+ · Yavatmal, Maharashtra · Heatwave
Heat burden
Key Recommendations
Evidence-based policy and programme actions arising from the study findings
1
🚨 Age-inclusive disaster response
Embed older persons — by name and address — into early warning systems, evacuation protocols and shelter planning. Designate trained volunteers for mobility-impaired older persons at the community level.
2
🤝 Recognise and support caregivers
Formally acknowledge the hidden economic cost borne by informal caregivers. Develop caregiver allowances, respite services and training programmes as part of disaster and climate adaptation planning.
3
🌡️ Targeted heatwave response
Mandate home visits during heat alerts for bedridden older persons. Provide cooling materials, hydration support and accessible cooling centres. Protect natural cooling infrastructure such as shade trees.
4
⚖️ Fix bureaucratic exclusion
Decouple prior housing scheme benefits from post-disaster reconstruction eligibility. Create a dedicated post-disaster support category for older poor households regardless of previous welfare history.
5
💰 Strengthen social protection
Increase pension amounts under IGNOAPS and ensure universal coverage for the oldest-old, widows and those living alone. Link pension delivery to disaster response so payments continue uninterrupted during climate events.
6
🏠 Climate-resilient housing
Prioritise older poor households in housing schemes, especially in flood plains and cyclone-prone areas. Ensure housing grants are sufficient to build structures that withstand local climate hazards.
7
🗳️ Include older persons in DRR governance
Ensure older persons — including older women — are systematically consulted in village-level disaster preparedness planning. Their lived experience of multiple hazards is an underutilised resource for local resilience building.
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