Championing Older Adults for Leadership in Environmental Sustainability and Climate Empowerment (COALESCE) – Phase I
The COALESCE 鈥� Phase I project was successful in receiving funding through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) as part of the Community-Based Research in Climate Change Priority Areas Catalyst Grant Competition, under the Climate Justice Pool.
This project is dedicated to fostering the leadership of older adults in environmental sustainability and climate action by supporting them to undertake a realist review and collecting data on humidity and air quality using home sensors.
The COALESCE 鈥� Phase I project was successful in receiving funding through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) as part of the Community-Based Research in Climate Change Priority Areas Catalyst Grant Competition, under the Climate Justice Pool. The goal of this pilot project is to develop an upscaled CIHR Project Grant Proposal for Phases II and III which will focus in undertaking COALESCE at a national level with older adults as citizen scientists and creating opportunities for knowledge exchange at the international level through developing a global community of practice.
The project aims to understand how older adults in Metro Vancouver and the Lower Mainland are affected by climate change and empower them to become climate change-maker. The research team will work with seniors and train them as co-researchers to understand how climate change impacts their daily lives, health and wellbeing. The research will identify and co-produce ideas for practical interventions to mitigate the effects of severe weather and enable seniors to take control of their living conditions. The approach emphasizes transdisciplinary collaboration in partnership with seniors centres in Metro Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, including Silver Harbour Centre. The objectives include identifying priorities of local seniors, empowering them as citizen science co-researchers to explore and codevelop ideas for educational resources, working with community, government and industry partners to shape inclusive and climate-resilient Age-Friendly Cities and Communities (AFCCs), and building international knowledge exchange towards a Community of Practice.
The project is led by:
- Dr. Mei Fang (PI)
- Ms. Annwen Loverin (Community Co-PI)