A woman collects cattle fodder in an island affected by frequent cyclones in the Sundarban region of West Bengal. Credit: Subhra Priyadarshini
People in the top greenhouse gas emitting countries of the world, including India, are very anxious about climate change, according to a study1. This worry is not limited to those facing the brunt of climate change, but also felt by those aware of its negative impacts, the study revealed.
Climate change anxiety is apparent in people facing the direct impacts of climate change in China, India, Japan and the United States, according to a study using the Climate Change Anxiety Scale to measure the emotional response to climate change among 4000 participants in those countries.
Climate change anxiety was higher in the Chinese and Indian samples than among the Japanese and US respondents, say the authors, from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and the College of Wooster, in the United States. Participants in India and China, more strongly affected by periods of high temperature, felt more vulnerable to climate change impacts than those surveyed in Japan and the United State.
Geographical vulnerabilities and a lack of financial resources that can help buffer the impacts of climate change in India and China created negative emotions, study co-author, Susan Clayton, told Nature India.
In India, younger participants reported stronger climate anxiety. The study found that more educated people were slightly more anxious. Belief in the scientific consensus on climate change, and its perceived harm, also triggered anxiety, which partly explains the correlation with education, Clayton adds.
Climate anxiety also positively influenced pro-environmental action in every country studied, especially on sustainable diet and activism.
Bhawna Tanwar from the volunteer climate action and advocacy group, There Is No Earth B. told Nature India that news of climate disasters makes her feel hopeless. “I often feel my actions are not enough to bring about positive change in the climate movement, leading to a constant feeling of burnout,” Tanwar says.
The experience of climate anxiety, and its relationship with other variables, differ across countries. “This is important to recognise in public policy. It shows that the effects of climate change are not limited to those people who are personally experiencing the direct impacts but can also threaten the mental health of those who are merely aware of the problem,” Clayton says.
Climate policy expert, Anjal Prakash, at the Indian School of Business, says awareness campaigns encouraging communities to reduce their carbon footprint can help reduce climate anxiety.
Developing countries must discuss climate anxiety as they face additional stress factors such as displacement from their homes, loss of livelihoods, and increased conflict over resources. “These factors can exacerbate existing mental health conditions or lead to new ones, such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder,” he says.
