한국 사회의 경우, 2000년에 이미 ``고령화 사회``로 전환된 것으로 판단되며, 2018년에는 ``고령사회``로, 2026년에는 ``초고령 사회``로 변모할 것으로 전망되고 있다. 이로 인해 우리나라의 사회, 경제 각 분야에 많은 변화가 예상됨에 따라 대비책이 강구되고 있다. 그러나 고령화가 미래사회의 메가 트렌드 중 하나로 지목되는 상황임에도 불구하고 환경부문에서의 영향 및 대응방향에 대한논의는 상대적으로 미흡한 실정이다. 이에 본 연구는 문헌 분석과 설문조사를 바탕으로 고령사회진입에 따른 환경문제와 국민의 미래 환경수요를 파악하여 이에 대한 정책적 대응방안을 모색하고자 하였다.
By 2018, Korea is expected to transition into an aged society, as 14.3% of its total population will be elderly who are older than 64. Nonetheless, no study has been performed to sufficiently investigate what national policies should be prepared to respond to future environmental needs which Korea would face soon once it transitions into an aged society. By referring to previous related studies, this study tries to answer the following questions: during its transition into an aged society, what environmental needs will the Korean society have in the future? And what national policies will the Korean government have to prepare to meet its future environmental needs? Based on the research outcome generated specifically from performing a large-scaled survey for different age groups and implementing in-depth interviews of elderly residing in various regions, this study finds out that different age groups in the future will have different environmental needs based on their mobility, resource consumption, residence, and health. Simply put, a study such as this is needed for the Korean government to consider national policies or measures on the following points. First, the accessibility of public transports should be more secure. Second, the air quality of indoors should be managed systematically. Third, the energy efficiency of houses should be further improved. Fourth, more social education and campaigns on saving resources should be implemented widely. Fifth, green parks or spaces should be more readily available, particularly in urban areas. Lastly, rapid response alarm systems to cope with extreme weather conditions should be arranged and operated effectively, due especially to the ongoing climate change.
