Abstract
Inhabitants of mining regions in developing countries face issues from climate change, environmental degradation, and socio-economic instability. This article explores the psychological effects of climate-related stressors among inhabitants in mining landscapes focusing on eco-anxiety, trauma, and self-estrangement while drawing on global climate-health frameworks. The study calls for urgent initiatives for integrating psychological well-being into climate adaptation and regional mining governance.
Keywords: Climate change; Mining regions; Developing countries; Psychological health; Self-estrangement.
INTRODUCTION
Climate change is reshaping socio-ecological systems worldwide, yet its emotional and psychological consequences are unevenly distributed. Climate change entwined with environmental disruption have made mining regions more vulnerable. Inhabitants living in these areas are exposed to acute climate stressors and grapple with that ecological instability, health hazards, and socio-psychological stress. Especially in developing countries, mining regions are undergoing intensified ecological deterioration due to deforestation, land cover conversion, and contamination, amidst climate change. These realities intersect with structural inequities, generating multidimensional stress for local indigenous populations, labourers, and informal settlers. Despite growing recognition of mental health as a climate impact area [1], mining communities remain underrepresented in psychological risk assessments.
Research on climate-related psychological impacts has grown significantly over the past decade. Clayton et al. [2], introduced the concept of eco-anxiety, marking a shift in climate-health discourse. The IPCC [1], acknowledges mental health as a critical domain within adaptation planning, especially for marginal communities. WHO (2021) emphasizes the need for climate-resilient health systems, but implementation remains uneven. Evidence from existing studies have established identity displacement, relocation linked trauma, and socioenvironmental stress in mining-dominated economies [3]. However, very limited studies have connected climate change, mental health, and mining contexts in developing countries.
Eco-anxiety in mining sites
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [1], marginalized populations living in mining regions of countries like Indonesia, India, and the Democratic Republic of Congo are experiencing rising eco-anxiety. This includes intense fear related to environmental degradation, deteriorating health conditions, and growing economic insecurity. This anxiety is rooted in land degradation, deforestation, polluting rivers, and air amidst the erratic climate patterns [2]. A report published by TERI (2024), in parts of India’s Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh regions which are hub of extensive coal mining, forest-dependent communities living near these zones face growing uncertainty over agricultural productivity and water availability deepening stress and feelings of helplessness [4,5].
Climate change driven natural disaster and trauma
Mining regions, due to deforestation, are more vulnerable to frequent climate extremes like heatwaves, floods, and droughts [6]. These events trigger psychological trauma, PTSD, sleep disorders, and collective anxiety especially when linked with loss of livelihood or forced relocation [7]. The unavailability of proper healthcare support services further exaggerates the issue and are major challenges in dealing with such situations [8]. In Peru’s Andean highlands, the convergence of mining-induced displacement and glacial retreat has severely affected local communities, contributing to emotional fragmentation and social breakdown. The erosion of ancestral land rights, dwindling water sources, and disruption of traditional livelihoods have deepened psychological vulnerability [9,10].
Relocation stress
Studies show that mining communities subjected to relocation experience grief, isolation, and loss of social cohesion [3]. The loss of ancestral lands and environmental degradation often result in the erosion of rituals, place-based memories, and social cohesion, particularly among Indigenous and tribal communities [11]. These disruptions sever the deep cultural and spiritual ties that connect people to their landscapes, leading to identity fragmentation, emotional distress, and intergenerational trauma. Affected populations frequently report disappointment with institutional systems that fail to recognize their cultural ties or provide adequate emotional and psychological support [12].
Coping mechanisms and behavioural shifts
In developing countries, behavioural responses range from migration and spiritual framing to fatalism and climate denial. These adaptive behaviours often stem from deep-rooted cultural frameworks and socioeconomic realities. Climate change may also exacerbate intercommunity tensions over resources, as seen in drought-hit agrarian zones. These cultural modalities are powerful but underutilized in official adaptation frameworks. Denial and fatalism also surface in populations who feel voiceless in extractive economies [13-15].
Mental Health Integration in Mining Governance amidst climate change
• Climate adaptation must include mental health in extractive regions through:
• Community-based mental health interventions anchored in cultural relevance
• Mining-impact assessments that account for psychosocial dimensions
• Youth-centered programs fostering agency and climate literacy
• Integration of WHO’s mental health resilience framework into climate-risk planning
• Global frameworks such as the IPCC AR6 report and the Lancet Countdown recognize mental health as a climate risk factor yet implementation in mining belts remains nascent.
DISCUSSION
Mining communities in developing nations often face issues including degraded natural resources, climate extremes, unstable livelihoods, and limited access to social support that make them especially vulnerable to mental health challenges. Although international frameworks such as those from the IPCC and WHO emphasize the importance of psychological well-being in climate action, their practical application within extractive regions remains limited. Mining policies typically concentrate on physical infrastructure and economic rehabilitation, overlooking emotional and social wellbeing.
To address these gaps, it is essential to embed mental health into resettlement planning, ecological restoration, and climate resilience efforts. Place-specific approaches such as community healing practices, accessible green spaces, and awareness programs can strengthen social cohesion and recovery. In addition, climate models that guide local action should account for psychological vulnerability as a key factor shaping community resilience.
CONCLUSION
For communities living in mining regions especially in developing countries, climate change is both an ecological and emotional crisis. Addressing psychological resilience is essential to ensure sustainable adaptation. Governments, NGOs, and researchers must formulate strategies and pathways that restore not just degraded landscapes but also ensure psychological well- being of the mining communities.
REFERENCES
Citation
Tiwari S, Choudhary S (2025) Climate Change and the Psychological Vulnerability of Mining Communities in Developing Countries. SM J Public Health Epidemiol 7(1): 2.