What is PRANAM?
PRANAM — Protecting and Recognising Ageing Needs Against Climate — is CEDAC’s ward-level pilot programme and simultaneously a gesture of respect for older persons. It is currently in active deployment in Division 66, Ernakulam Central, Kochi Municipal Corporation, in partnership with the Division 66 Councillor.
PRANAM is the operational heart of the Kochi Climate-Ageing Initiative (KCAI) — CEDAC’s comprehensive municipal action platform integrating six strategic pillars: vulnerability mapping, age-inclusive disaster action, intergenerational resilience networks, climate-sensitive geriatric care, data and research generation, and global policy advocacy.
The PRANAM Survey — India’s First Ward-Level Climate-Ageing Dataset
Under the PRANAM protocol, CEDAC deployed 18 interns from Bharat Mata School of Law and partner social work institutions across Division 66. The survey captured 483 older adults across 72 variables — covering demographics, NCD burden, functional status, mental well-being, social support, financial security, digital access, housing conditions, and climate vulnerability.
Key Findings
- 71.8% of older adults surveyed have at least one diagnosed NCD; 41.6% have two or more
- 42.0% have hypertension; 38.1% have Type 2 diabetes — both critically climate-sensitive conditions
- 28.4% cannot walk 400 metres without help — rising to 60.7% among those aged 80+
- 61.5% have no health insurance — creating catastrophic financial risk during climate health events
- 40.8% do not use a smartphone — requiring non-digital early warning systems
- 44.3% have no emergency funds — unable to absorb costs of climate-health crises
- 7.5% live alone — highest risk group for delayed detection during heat events or floods
Five PRANAM Deliverables — Completed in 90 Days
1. Climate-Ageing Vulnerability Map
Door-to-door survey of all residents above 65 in Division 66 — capturing heat exposure, NCD burden, mobility, social isolation, medication status, and housing type — digitised into a ward-level Climate-Ageing Risk Register. The first of its kind in any Indian municipality.
2. PRANAM Elder Care Card
A laminated, QR-linked card issued to every high-risk older adult, containing emergency contacts, key medications, and health conditions. A physical artefact of recognition and a WHO-GNAFCC-reportable age-friendly innovation.
3. Ward Climate-Health Early Warning Protocol
India’s first ward-specific, age-targeted Standard Operating Procedure — activated on IMD/ICCS heat or flood alerts — defining community response roles and medication continuity measures.
4. Elder Climate Circle
A standing fortnightly gathering of 15–20 older adults serving as a peer support network, traditional ecological knowledge repository, and community feedback loop for KCAI design.
5. PRANAM Ward Report
A bilingual (Malayalam + English) public-facing document publishing vulnerability data, card coverage, and health outcomes — submitted to WHO-GNAFCC Geneva, Government of Kerala, MoHFW, ICCS, and the media.
Global Recognition — WHO World Congress, San Sebastián 2026
PRANAM’s work has been submitted as an abstract to the 3rd World Congress of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities (San Sebastián, Spain, June 2026) — at the personal invitation of Dr. Thiago Herick de Sá, WHO-GNAFCC Coordinator. This makes CEDAC one of the few organisations from India to present original, evidence-based climate-ageing research at the WHO’s premier global forum on age-friendly communities.
PRANAM COOL
A locally sourced Kerala topical formulation for heat protection in elderly populations, with a proposed Division 66 pilot study framework — currently under development by CEDAC.
The Kochi Declaration — October 2025
The National Roundtable on Climate Change and Healthy Ageing, convened by CEDAC in partnership with ICCS (KSCSTE) and the Geriatric Society of India (Kerala Chapter) at NUALS, Kochi on 21 October 2025, produced India’s first consensus document on climate-ageing intersectionality — The Kochi Declaration on Climate Change and Healthy Ageing.
Adopted unanimously by 14 institutions including the National Institute of Oceanography, NUALS, NERCI, Geriatric Society of India, Pushpagiri Medical Sciences, and Malabar Cancer Centre, the Declaration calls for older adults to be recognised as a priority climate-vulnerable group in all Indian policy frameworks.
The Proposal That Could Change Global Policy
CEDAC has formally proposed to WHO-GNAFCC that Climate Resilience be adopted as a ninth domain of the Age-Friendly Cities and Communities framework — complementing the eight existing domains. Kochi is proposed as the global proof-of-concept city. This proposal is being presented at San Sebastián in June 2026.
“A city that cares for its elders earns the world’s respect.” — Dr. Praveen G. Pai, Chairman CEDAC, WHO-GNAFCC Focal Point