Aging at the Margins of Climate Adaptation: Older Adults, Urban Risks, and Policy Invisibility In Banjul, the Gambia

Background and Purpose:

Climate change is intensifying multiple forms of risk, including flooding, extreme heat, and infrastructure strain, yet adaptation policies rarely address the specific vulnerabilities of older adults. In coastal cities like Banjul, The Gambia, these hazards disproportionately affect aging populations due to their reduced mobility, chronic illness, limited income security, and social isolation. Research and policy attention in Africa have traditionally focused on youth, leaving older adults understudied and underrepresented in both scholarship and governance. Despite global recognition of older adults as a vulnerable group, they remain largely absent from climate adaptation frameworks, particularly in urban West African contexts. This study examines how older adults are represented in climate adaptation planning in Banjul and considers implications for social work practice across micro, mezzo, and macro levels in under-researched settings.

Methods:
This study employs a qualitative case study design combining 14 semi-structured interviews with municipal officials, national policymakers, urban planners, and technical consultants involved in climate and urban governance. Interviews explored climate risk perception, processes, and decision-making around adaptation priorities, and whether older adults are considered in these processes. A structured document analysis of national (e.g., The Gambia’s National Adaptation Plan, Nationally Determined Contributions, and Long-Term Climate Strategy), and international climate and aging frameworks such as, the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing, the African Union Climate Resilience Strategy, and protocols on the rights of older persons, were conducted to assess the extent to which policies include age-specific language, institutional mandates, participation mechanisms, data systems, and infrastructure provisions. Data were analyzed thematically using a coding framework focused on age inclusivity.

Results:
Findings confirm that older adults are largely invisible in climate adaptation planning. Policies refer broadly to “vulnerable populations” without defining age-specific risks or interventions. Respondents consistently emphasized that older adults are not explicitly consulted or included in participatory planning processes, limiting their influence on adaptation priorities. Municipal actors recognized these gaps but cited constraints, including limited funding, weak decentralization, and the absence of age-disaggregated data. Differences emerged across governance levels: local officials emphasized implementation barriers, while national actors pointed to policy fragmentation. Intersectional vulnerabilities, particularly among older women facing insecure housing, displacement risk, and economic dependency, further heighten exposure to climate hazards. Further, erosion of informal care systems and reliance on uncoordinated, community-based responses increase vulnerability during climate events.

Conclusions and Implications:

Climate adaptation in Banjul is structurally age-blind, and social workers across multiple levels of practice are well-positioned to address this issue. Addressing this gap requires integrating aging into urban governance through age-disaggregated data systems, inclusive planning processes that actively engage older adults, and strengthened municipal capacity to implement targeted interventions. As one of the few studies examining aging and climate adaptation in the Sub-Saharan African context, this research highlights the importance of centering older adults within aging and social work scholarship to advance equitable and inclusive urban resilience across many settings.