Healthy Aging and Resource Sustainability

The rapid aging of populations poses significant challenges for healthcare, resource allocation, and sustainability. This chapter proposes an integrative framework linking health economics, natural capital theory, and eco-health to address these issues within the silver economy. It shows that aging is inseparable from ecological systems and that investments in green infrastructure, ecosystem services, and sustainable governance provide co-benefits for health and resilience. Global case studies highlight nature-based interventions such as therapeutic green spaces and eco-health hubs that improve elder well-being, reduce costs, and support climate adaptation. The chapter also examines ethical dilemmas in commercial wellness markets, stressing the need for safeguards, equity, and participatory governance. Advances in digital health, IoT, AI, and ecosystem valuation tools are identified as key enablers. Ultimately, it calls for a shift from fragmented, treatment-focused eldercare to holistic eco-health approaches that align healthy aging with environmental stewardship.