Eco-anxiety: The New Silent Pandemic

“Eco-anxiety isn’t just about the fear of climate change — it’s also the distress where people are becoming anxious about their future. It’s about the daily stress and struggle of survival in a world where resources are shrinking and inequalities deepen their impact,” says Madhuri Subbarao, Chief Research Officer, Eartitude Research Forum (Your Attitude Towards Earth).

“Our research shows that this anxiety is experienced differently. In every water crisis, women often carry the burden — they rush to store water, finish cooking, clean, and manage the household amid growing uncertainty. Children, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities face this distress in ways that are often overlooked. Emotions are mixed: helplessness, frustration, urgency, pressure, anger, and exhaustion all exist together,” says Madhuri.

Nature Deficit Disorder

People are suffering from Nature Deficit Disorder (NDD) due to the climate change. “"Nature Deficit Disorder (NDD) results from modern lifestyles. More urbanisation, technology use, and indoor activities are its hallmarks. These changes have caused a drop in outdoor experiences and interactions with nature. Increased temperatures can reduce physical activity, contributing to different health problems, such as obesity, attention issues, depression, anxiety, and a reduced feeling of empathy and connection to their surroundings,” says Madhuri.

Wisvesh B S, manager at Envint, a sustainability & ESG services firm, discovered eco-anxiety a few months back.

“I wasn’t always concerned about the planet. Once that awareness started about 15 years ago, there was no going back. It began as a small effort — volunteering for waste segregation in our apartment complex. Then, I was part of a PIL, dragging bags of dry waste from Chennai to Bangalore in 2014. I ran Waste Samaritan for a few years and collaborated with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on an EPR programme for a major FMCG company,” says Wisvesh.

Caring this much is tiring, and no one mentions it. “Living sustainably feels like an emotional rollercoaster. I will ride in a cab to a sustainability event and feel awful about the fuel used. I worry about one grain of rice ending up in the bin. I will attempt to make improvements, but I realise that I am still part of the chaotic system. It’s annoying. The guilt feels different now that I’m a parent. This is the reality in which my child will grow up. One day, she may enquire about my actions to prevent it. I’m unsure of what to say. “I gave it a shot. That wasn’t sufficient?” says Wisvesh.

Sandeep Anirudhan, Convenor of Aikyam Community for Sustainable Living, experienced the loss of a loved one, highlighting the finite nature of our time on earth. He has created several communities that help raise awareness and inspire action in various fields, including sustainability.

Sandeep, who quit conventional life and plunged himself into volunteering and betterment of the planet, says rural communities are seen to be most affected. The rise in rural migration is a direct outcome of climate change. “This is affecting not just livelihoods; it is affecting the very identity of those affected, their self-image and identity, their relationship with their roots, the displacement of communities, and leading to large-scale trauma. Urban areas are buying time by importing resources, outsourcing their crisis to other areas and externalising it. There is only so much that even cities can do. The day is not far before cities start crumbling,” sums up Sandeep, who is also a vocal proponent of the natural farming movement.