By 2050, about 1 in 5 of persons living in Southeast Asia will be 60 and older. Given the increasing disruptions and uncertainties to communities from pandemics, natural disasters, displacement and many more stressors, the need to build resilience in ageing communities is even more pressing.
Our aim is to understand what works to build the capacity of older persons and their community such that they can mutually support one other. Our goal is to develop frameworks, measurement domains, and good practices to promote resilience in ageing communities, particularly in the Southeast Asia context, as well as create networks for knowledge sharing and creation.
Welcome to the latest phase of our Community Resilience Project phase, focusing on addressing financial and livelihood insecurities, in collaboration with Older Persons Associations in the community. In April 2024, our team journeyed to the Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India. We engaged with local communities and delivered training on Participatory Rural Appraisal methods for conducting community assessments over the next nine months.. Prioritizing older adults' voices, we're collaboratively crafting grassroots interventions with GRAVIS, our partner in Thar Desert based on our Resilience Framework and Good Practices
Younger and older women sharing their challenges and aspirations for the future
Older women helping to build traditional rainwater harvesting structures- ‘Taanka’
Consultation with the Older Person’s Association in the village
Mapping issue of financial insecurity among older women in Thar Desert
Our first webinar - Resilience in Southeast Asian Communities: Research and Practice was held on 27 September 2022. In this webinar, we shared and discussed resilience research, frameworks, and good practices for programs development in ageing communities. Presenters and discussants from Singapore, Philippines, and Thailand presented findings from our case studies of good practices. More than 60 participants from all over the world attended. Access the webinar slides and recordings here.
Our presenters and discussants
After two years of conducting our research on community resilience online due to the pandemic, the research team finally met in person in Chiang Mai, May 2022.
We visited two communities Ban Sang Klang and Don Kaew and saw in person the development they have accomplished and their resilience as a community. Read our Good Practices to find out how these communities developed resilience.
First day research conference meeting in person
Townhall meeting with local leaders from Ban Sang Klang, Chiang Rai, north of Chiang Mai. Local leaders worked with neighbouring villages to develop mechanisms for disaster risk reduction and protect livelihoods.
Site inspection of a dam constructed by local authorities. A 2014 earthquake caused a cracked and increased flood risk. Villagers engaged the media and irrigation office to repair it. Read more in Case Study 1.2b.
Visit Don Kaew community clinic that offers traditional medicine treatment popular among older adults in the community.
Refurbished earthquake-resistant house, Ban Sang Klang. A joint effort between FOPDEV, engineers, and locals that combined modern technology with traditional building methods were used to build these houses. See Case Study 2.1b.
Meeting local government leaders in Don Kaew subdistrict administrative organization (SAO) who shared how they established a community-based long-term care model. See Case Study 2.3b for details
Researchers from the three countries during our visit at Don Kaew.
Good practices to develop the capacities and resilience of older persons and their communities
A resilience framework for communities and older persons to cope, adapt and transform
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