The report estimates that heat-related deaths among older individuals have increased by approximately 85% since the 1990s. Photo AI
As extreme heat becomes “the new normal” across many countries, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) cautions about increased health risks for older adults in its newly published Frontiers 2025 Report.
The report also draws attention to other pressing climate-related dangers, such as melting glaciers potentially releasing ancient pathogens and floods that could unearth hazardous chemicals.
The seventh edition of UNEP’s Frontiers Report, titled The Weight of Time – Facing a new age of challenges for people and ecosystems, is part of UNEP’s Foresight Trajectory initiative.
It highlights emerging environmental challenges alongside potential solutions.
The inaugural report in 2016 anticipated the rising threat of zoonotic diseases, four years before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The latest edition arrives as regions including China, Japan, India, Europe, and the USA endure prolonged periods of extreme heat and flooding.
“Heat waves are among the most frequent and deadly impacts of climate change, along with floods and shrinking ice cover,” stated Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP.
“We must be prepared for the risks these impacts pose, especially for society’s most vulnerable, including older persons. Yet as this year’s Frontiers Report shows, solutions exist that can help protect communities and restore ecosystems long thought to have been lost.”
Adults aged 65 and older now represent a growing share of the global population, particularly in urban areas of low- and middle-income countries.
The report estimates that heat-related deaths among older individuals have increased by approximately 85% since the 1990s.
Additional threats stem from worsening air pollution and flooding in low-lying coastal cities where many older people reside.
Older persons—especially those living with chronic illnesses, limited mobility, or frailty—are particularly susceptible to heat-related health issues such as respiratory, cardiovascular, and metabolic diseases, as well as elevated mortality rates.
To address these challenges, the report calls for cities to be made pollution-free, resilient, and accessible, with abundant vegetation.
Key approaches include enhanced urban planning, community-driven disaster risk management, and improved access to climate information tailored to older populations.
Earlier this year, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution to create an “international legally binding instrument on the human rights of older persons,” which could provide vital protections for those most vulnerable to climate change impacts.
Zombie microbes
Beyond the threats to older adults, the report also warns of the potential revival of ancient microbes.
Should global temperatures rise more than 2˚C above pre-industrial levels, significant losses to the cryosphere—comprising glaciers, seasonal snow, ice sheets, sea ice, permafrost, and frozen ground—are expected.
These frozen regions are home to 670 million people and provide water to billions more.
Dormant bacteria, fungi, and viruses trapped in these frozen environments could reactivate, heightening the risk of antimicrobial resistance.
To slow the cryosphere’s decline, the report recommends reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including black carbon from diesel engines, agricultural burning, and wildfires, as well as restricting tourism in fragile frozen areas.
It also urges accelerated scientific study of cryospheric microorganisms that may be lost as the cryosphere diminishes.
Return of banned chemicals through floods
The report highlights the dangers posed by floods stirring up sediments containing long-banned chemicals.
These toxic substances, accumulated over decades, could be released back into urban environments and food chains during flooding events.
Recommended strategies to mitigate this risk include traditional flood control measures like polders, dikes, and retention basins, improved drainage infrastructure, nature-based solutions such as sponge-city designs, routine pollutant monitoring, and conducting economic impact assessments related to this pollution.
Ageing dams pose new risks
Another emerging concern addressed by the report is the risk posed by ageing dams. While dams provide various benefits, they can also harm indigenous communities, fisheries, and ecosystems.
The removal of outdated or unsafe dams is increasingly practiced in Europe and North America.
The report highlights that dam and barrier removal can restore river connectivity, benefiting biodiversity and ecosystem health, and supports the implementation of the UN’s ecosystem restoration principles.
About UNEP
UNEP is the world’s leading environmental authority, offering leadership and fostering partnerships to improve the quality of life without compromising future generations.
