Why Children and Young Adults Need to be at the Centre of the Climate Agenda

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

One of the most significant sources of psychological strain is economic insecurity. When crops fail due to unpredictable weather patterns or when fishing communities face declining yields from over-warmed waters, families often struggle to make ends meet.

Adolescents in these households may have to drop out of school to work, give up dreams of higher education or migrate to cities in search of jobs.

What makes the youth particularly susceptible to these stressors is their developmental stage. Adolescence is already a period of emotional volatility, identity formation and heightened sensitivity to social and environmental cues. Add to that the destabilising effects of climate change and you have a generation growing up under a unique kind of pressure.

Research has consistently shown that chronic stress during this stage of life can have long-term effects on brain development, emotional regulation and behaviour. If young people are not given the tools and support to process their fears, anxieties and grief, they may internalise this distress in unhealthy ways.

Integrating Mental Health

All of this points to an urgent need: we must begin to treat mental health not as a secondary concern, but as a central pillar in climate response strategies. Mental health services should be included in disaster preparedness plans, school curricula should teach emotional resilience alongside climate science and public campaigns should work to destigmatise therapy and counselling.

Moreover, climate adaptation and relief programmes should involve mental health professionals—not just to treat trauma after disasters, but to help communities build resilience before they strike.

Young and Restless

Young people today are growing up in a world where the effects of climate change are no longer a distant threat—they are a daily reality. This generation is not only more informed about the crisis, but also more emotionally invested—and consequently, more vulnerable to its psychological impact.

There are several overlapping factors that contribute to this heightened vulnerability. First is developmental vulnerability. Being exposed to global-scale threats like climate change during adolescence can breed long-lasting feelings of anxiety, dread and hopelessness.

Second are the social disruptions that climate disasters often cause. School closures, temporary shelters or forced migration interrupt routines and separate young people from familiar communities.

Then there’s the looming issue of economic insecurity. Young people from rural and coastal regions, or those whose families rely on farming or tourism, are already witnessing shrinking opportunities.