TAKING ITS TOLL

While statistics track physical injuries, malnutrition or the spread of disease in disaster-hit regions, emotional suffering frequently goes unreported

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The physical consequences of climate change—though severe and often catastrophic—are visible, measurable and immediate. But what remains largely hidden, underestimated and yet profoundly damaging, is the emotional and psychological toll that a changing climate is taking on individuals, particularly the youth.

The Psychological Factor

Natural disasters-whether they arrive in the form of a cyclone, flood, wildfire or drought-leave a trail of destruction. But the damage doesn't end with ruined homes or broken infrastructure.

For survivors, the experience of facing life-threatening events, often with little warning, can be deeply traumatising. Many report symptoms that align with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): recurring flashbacks, panic attacks, emotional numbness and heightened sensitivity to noise or stress.

Underneath these acute traumas lie the more insidious, long-term psychological impacts of surviving in a changing climate. These aren't tied to a single event, but rather to an ongoing sense of instability and loss.

A Changing Order