Mental Health at the Intersection of Loss and Damage: Empowering Arctic Youth and Indigenous Communities (UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre, UNEP)

As climate change intensifies, communities worldwide are experiencing the profound impacts of loss and damage from rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and environmental degradation. Among the most affected are children and youth, who face not only the physical impacts of these changes but also increasing mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, and trauma.

This side event will explore the health-related dimensions of loss and damage, with a particular focus on the mental health and well-being of young people. Loss and damage from climate change are already disrupting the lives of children and youth, impacting their mental health, physical health, and socio-economic future. From eco-anxiety driven by extreme weather events and displacement to the loss of cultural heritage and livelihoods, young people are disproportionately vulnerable to these climate impacts.

Experts at this event will discuss how to address these challenges through holistic, community-based approaches that prioritize mental health, emotional resilience, and the empowerment of children and youth. We aim to have a dedicated session with experts who are already working in the climate change and mental health space to provide valuable in-country insights and share best practices.

The event will present case studies, best practices, and policy recommendations to help communities protect the well-being of younger generations while fostering resilience and hope in the face of climate impacts.

Moderator:

• Dr. Fatemeh Bakhtiari (UNEP-CCC), Senior Advisor - Climate Policy, Loss and Damage (in-person)

Speakers:

• Ms. Susie-Ann Kudluk, Canada’s National Inuit Youth Council president and delegate of The Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) (in-person)
• Dr. Aditya Bahadur, Director, Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre (in-person)
• Maya-Natuk Rohmann Fleischer, Youth advocate for the devastating consequences of the Arctic melting, not only for communities in Greenland but also for the whole world (in-person)
• Dr. Courtney Howard, Emergency Physician in the subarctic in Canada and Vice Chair of the Global Climate and Health Alliance (in-person)
• Dr. Allison Crawford, Chief Medical Officer, 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline; Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto; Lead, UArctic at the University of Toronto (virtual)
• Dr. Vincent Paquin, Clinician Investigator Program, PGY-6 Psychiatry, McGill University (virtual)