The Cornell Initiative on Aging and Climate Adaptation is an applied research collaboration across Cornell Tech, Cornell Weill, and Cornell Public Health, focused on improving, understanding, and developing novel solutions to the challenges of older populations in climate-stressed urban areas, including heat stress, flooding, and air pollution due to wildfires.

Climate stresses are magnified in urban areas. And the health burden is growing. Climate stresses can be exacerbated in cities by the urban heat island effect and proximity to flood zones. As a result, those aged 65 and over account for more heat-related hospitalizations than any other group. As the country’s fastest-growing segment, it is critical to understand how to minimize risk for a group that makes up roughly 17% of our population.