On 30 October 2024, Namibia’s mid-term budget review was tabled in parliament.
It provided additional relief for mitigating the effects of climate change by allocating an additional N$698.8 million for drought relief.
To date, the Namibian government has spent more than N$1 billion to try and diminish the effects of climate change on vulnerable communities.
I grew up in a small town in Kunene one of the regions bearing the brunt of climate change.
While most lessons in our geography classes about the fragility of the ozone layer focused on rising sea levels, cancer and skin diseases, we were never taught that the change in climate would directly affect our mental health.
This is a major concern which doesn’t always feature on mitigation agendas or at conference plenary sessions.
Climate change disproportionately affects the mental health of people.
It can be said that there is a positive relationship between climate change and mental health. When climate conditions improve, so does our mental health.
DROUGHT
Drought creates multiple pathways of vulnerabilities that directly and indirectly threaten our mental health.
The American Psychiatric Association lists various consequences of climate change ranging from mild stress and substance abuse to severely compromised mental health leading to mental illnesses like Major Depressive Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Drought, through the death of animals and a decrease in crop production, leads to a loss of income and hunger, worsening poverty and demoralisation, increasing the possibilities of hopelessness and helplessness.
Drought is also associated with displacement which threatens social cohesion which is the glue of community and relationships.
Loss or the threat of a loss of community can translate into a loss of social support.
This can have negative consequences for our mental health, amplifying depression and anxiety, as well as risky coping behaviours like substance abuse.
Grief and its accompanying experiences and emotions are also common when people experience loss associated with drought and climate change.
FEELING THE HEAT
Heat is another product of climate change that has a profound impact on our mental health (Rony, 2023).
Rony states that prolonged exposure to heat increases stress levels and irritability and disrupts sleep which causes fatigue and exhaustion.
Inadequate sleep is linked with compromised health and amplified risks of development and worsening of existing mental health conditions.
Last year, 2024 was reported as the hottest year on record, causing widespread and dangerous damage to the natural environment and the mental health of people.
Research shows that temperature and suicide rates are related.
It was found that there is a significant positive association between suicide – particularly violent suicides and suicide attempts – and an increase in temperature.
Various global studies support this claim.
A 1% increase in ambient temperature translates to a 1.1% – 2.3% increase in suicide.
Some studies go as far as claiming that climate factors are greater determinants of suicidal behaviour than economic factors.
PARTNER VIOLENCE
Other social consequences of climate change include violent behaviour and criminality.
A study conducted by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in 2024 shows that high temperatures and heat waves have the potential to drive up aggression and intimate partner violence.
The same UNFPA study shows that the difference between climate action success and failure is 1.9 billion preventable cases of intimate partner violence between 2015 and 2060; should temperatures increase by 4ºC, the UNFPA estimates that IPV will increase by 192% by 2060, a horrifying figure with the bulk of those affected being girls and women.
Government efforts to minimise the impact of climate change are laudable; the loss of agricultural produce has translated into a loss of income and livelihood for many people and communities.
However, effective mitigation requires concerted efforts anchored in social participation, drawn from participatory consultations that lead to holistic policies of change.
People and economies cannot thrive when people’s economic and emotional traumas are not addressed.
- – Alex Gomachab is a student psychologist and a mental health advocate. He holds a marketing degree and is founder of the online awareness platform #Wellness and Healing. You can contact him at +264812488355 or alex.gomachab@gmail.com.
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