From Planetary Change to Psychological Impact: Understanding and Responding to the Mental Health Effects of Climate Change

How does climate change affect the mind?

Extreme heat, wildfires, storms, air pollution and droughts, are already affecting   human health by increasing physical strain, worsening living conditions and intensifying existing vulnerabilities. While these impacts are increasingly recognized in relation to physical health, the consequences for mental health remain insufficiently understood, and are still underrepresented in research, policy, and public discourse. 

What is the relationship between climate change and mental health, and how can this be addressed adequately in strategies of adaptation and mitigation, such as climate action plans?

The webinar “From Planetary Change to Psychological Impact: Understanding and Responding to the Mental Health Effects of Climate Change” will open the discussion on this emerging field by bringing together interdisciplinary perspectives from South Africa and Germany. It will explore how climate-related environmental changes can affect mental health through direct and indirect pathways, examine the interaction between environmental stressors and vulnerabilities, and discuss what these developments mean for climate adaptation, public health systems, and mental health services.

The webinar forms part of the ongoing collaboration between the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) and the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. The online event serves as a prelude to the joint workshop and public panel discussion “Climate Change and Mental Health: Comparative Risk Pathways, Vulnerability, and Resilience” to be held in South Africa from 8–10 September 2026.

The Leopoldina and ASSAf will welcome the following experts to the podium:

• Professor Dr Caradee Wright, South African Medical Research Council, Pretoria,
• Professor Dr Frauke Kraas, University of Cologne, Cologne,
• Professor Dr Simone Kühn, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin,
• Professor Dr Tholene Sodi, University of Limpopo, Polokwane.

As part of the Leopoldina International Virtual Panel Series, the webinar provides a platform for dialogue and critical reflection: exploring one of the most urgent yet often overlooked challenges of our time – the links between climate change and mental health.

Researchers, academics, policymakers, civil society representatives, early career scholars, and international partners with an interest in climate, health, and society are cordially invited to participate.