Climate Change and Mental Health: Comparative Risk Pathways, Vulnerability, and Resilience

The workshop, jointly hosted by the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the Academy of Science of South Africa, forms part of the joint ASSAf–Leopoldina project series on Climate Change and Health. This workshop provides a platform for discussing current research, strengthening international scientific cooperation, and building capacity in science-policy advice.

The application deadline has been extended until Friday, 10 April 2026. Participants will be selected and notified by 30 April 2026. Participation in the workshop is free of charge for selected researchers. Travel and accommodation costs will be covered. 

Background
Human-induced climate change affects societies profoundly and in an incremental manner, yet its impacts on mental health remain insufficiently understood and are rarely integrated into climate, health, and development policies. Climate stressors influence mental health both directly (e.g. extreme heat, environmental degradation, disasters) and indirectly (e.g., displacement, food insecurity, livelihood loss, and socio-economic instability), often reinforcing existing inequalities. 
Actual evidence from South Africa and German-speaking countries remains limited, particularly regarding protective factors and resilience mechanisms. As a result, mental health is still underrepresented in climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. This workshop seeks to address this gap through a structured, comparative, and policy-oriented dialogue. 

Focus & Aims
The workshop adopts a comparative perspective between South Africa and German-speaking countries and invites applications from researchers in psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience, climate and environmental sciences, alongside other disciplines relevant to the focus of the workshop. 
The key aims are to: 

•  Synthesise and structure evidence on direct and indirect pathways linking climate change and mental health in South Africa and German-speaking countries. 
•  Identify interindividual differences in the effects of climate change on mental health, including vulnerability and protective factors, and attention to inequality as well as context-specific risks. 
• Compare national impacts, responses, and preparedness across participating countries. 
• Derive policy-relevant recommendations and producing a short policy paper/brief integrating mental health into climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. 
• Build capacity among emerging scholars through active involvement in analysis, dialogue, and outputs.