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.
Air Pollution Biodiversity Loss
Addressing the Triple Environmental Crisis: A Way Forward
Explore economic and nature-based solutions to the environmental crisis, with expert talks, real-world case studies, and interactive discussions led by global leaders in Planetary Health, including PHA’s Carlos Faerron.
• Videos
Biodiversity Loss Governance and Policy
Climate and Health Strategies Must Address the Biodiversity Crisis. STAT10.
This opinion piece calls on the health sector to confront biodiversity loss — a crisis as urgent as climate change. Biodiversity is essential for public health, underpinning food, water, air, and disease regulation.
• News
Climate Change Health and Care Systems
From Healing to Organizing
As the effects of the climate crisis worsen, more health professionals are recognizing that healing their communities also means organizing for change. In this podcast, guests share their journeys into climate work, the power of building connections, and how we can find hope in collective action.
• Podcasts
Climate Change Economics and Economic Systems
More than 100 Countries have Cut Fossil-Fuel Imports due to Renewables Rise, and Other Climate and Nature News. World Economic Forum.
• News
Infectious Diseases Health and Care Systems
Community-based strategies for tuberculosis control in migrant communities: How to integrate determinants of vulnerability into decision-making. BMC Public Health.
• Research & Reports
