Climate change is increasingly recognized not only as an environmental and economic crisis, but also as a profound mental health challenge. Rising global temperatures, extreme weather events, ecological degradation, and climate-related uncertainty are contributing to growing levels of eco-anxiety, climate grief, trauma, and psychological distress. Despite growing evidence, integration of mental health in climate research, policy, and adaptation planning remains scarce.
Addressing mental health in the context of climate change is essential for sustainable adaptation strategies and social resilience. By integrating psychological research into climate discourse, this symposium contributes to:
- Advancing interdisciplinary climate research
- Providing empirical insights to foster evidence-based policymaking
- Promoting socially just and health-centered climate action
Organized by the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, this 5th IECCCH Global Forum aims to bring together a global community of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to discuss urgent challenges related to the psychological dimensions of global climate change and to identify sustainable pathways and good practices towards resilience and informed action from around the world.
This event offers contributing researchers and institutions a platform to present current research in an emerging and highly relevant research field linking environmental change and human wellbeing. Furthermore, selected presentations will be offered to contribute to a dedicated Special Issue of the high-impact journal “Climatic Change”.
