Mental Health Noncommunicable Diseases
• Research & Reports
What Is Planetary Health?
Brain Health
Our environment shapes neurological function and mental well-being, while resilient brains empower societies to adapt to and mitigate planetary challenges.
1 in 4 dementia deaths worldwide, approximately 626,000 deaths each year, is attributable to air pollution.
Brain health sits at the heart of Planetary Health, reflecting the dynamic relationship between human biology, social systems, and the environments we depend on to survive and thrive. The brain, our organ of cognition, emotion, behavior, and social connection, is uniquely sensitive to environmental conditions shaped by how we steward the planet. Rising temperatures, air and water pollution, extreme weather events, food and water insecurity, ecosystem degradation, and exposure to environmental toxins all affect neurological function, cognitive performance, and mental health across the lifespan.
20-30 minutes in natural environments can significantly improve attention, working memory, and executive function, compared with urban settings.
At the same time, healthy brains enable learning, creativity, cooperation, and collective decision-making, capacities that societies need to adapt to environmental change, design sustainable systems, and respond to crises. When environmental degradation undermines brain health, it weakens individual well-being, social cohesion, productivity, and communities’ ability to respond effectively to planetary challenges. This makes brain health both a vulnerability and a leverage point within the Planetary Health framework.
Our Brain Under Environmental Stress
Scientific evidence increasingly shows that environmental stressors act on the brain through interconnected biological, psychological, and social pathways. Heat stress disrupts sleep, cognition, and mental health; air pollution accelerates cognitive decline and increases the risk of dementia and neurodevelopmental disorders; extreme weather events drive trauma, displacement, and long-lasting effects on mental and cognitive health. These risks are not evenly distributed. Children, older adults, people with pre-existing neurological or mental health conditions, and communities facing socioeconomic disadvantage bear a disproportionate burden. A Planetary Health approach therefore requires centering on equity, prevention, and resilience.
Planetary Health Solutions for Brain Health
Crucially, many Planetary Health solutions are also brain-protective solutions. Cleaner air, climate-resilient food systems, access to green and blue spaces, urban tree canopies, reduced noise and heat exposure, and stronger social infrastructure all support cognitive function, emotional well-being, and neurological health while delivering environmental co-benefits. By explicitly integrating brain health into Planetary Health research, policy, and practice, we can better capture the full human benefits of environmental action and design interventions that strengthen both people and planet.
Resources
Mental Health Youth Voices
• News
Climate Change’s Hidden Mental Toll On Children Think Global Health.
Mental Health Noncommunicable Diseases
• Research & Reports
Environmental Neuroscience Springer Nature Link.
Climate Change Communications
Insights From Youth Activism
From global walkouts and strikes to protests and boycotts, youth climate activists are showing how collective action can drive real change by organizing and mobilizing thousands around bold campaigns. At the same time, health professionals are bringing their expertise and trusted voices to the fight. Listen to the podcast to explore we can bring these groups together to amplify impact and tackle the complex challenges of climate change.
• Podcasts
Biodiversity Loss Food Systems
The economic, agricultural, and food security repercussions of a wild pollinator collapse in Europe. Nature Communicatons.
Despite the threats to the food system created by biodiversity loss, conservation efforts face significant opposition. This study found that the loss of wild pollinators in Europe would lead to increases in crop failures by as much as 10.3%, among other threats to food availability.
• Research & Reports
Arts Collaboration and Partnerships
We Are the Possible Planet Forest: 12 Poems for 12 Days of COP30
This collection of 12 poems—co-created by the global Planetary Health community—was shared with world leaders and delegates at COP30 in Brazil.
• Multi-Media
Life Stage and Reproductive Health Noncommunicable Diseases
Association between adherence to EAT-Lancet diet and risk of sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity in adults. International Journal of Obesity.
• Research & Reports
Indigenous Knowledge and Voices
Healing Life on Earth Begins with Healing our Bonds: Voices from the Land. Mongabay.
• News
