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.
Business and Manufacturing
Lidl GB Launches ‘Live Well’ Logo to Signpost Healthy Products Based on the Planetary Health Diet
Lidl GB launched its ‘Live Well’ logo, the first discounter health marker aligning with the Planetary Health Diet. Unlike competitors, it highlights products that are nutritious, sustainable, and beneficial for both people and planet.
• News
Air Pollution Chemical Pollution
How Criminology Can Support Environmental Health: The Case of PFAS. Springer Nature Link.
Criminology can help address PFAS pollution by framing industrial emissions and exposures as a crime. Using the case of DuPont/Chemours in the Netherlands, the commentary calls for approaches that both curb new PFAS emissions and address historic exposures.
• News
Economics and Economic Systems Planetary Health Frameworks
Business Unusual: The Business of Survival: Why Planetary Health Matters Now More than Rver. The Edge Malaysia.
Dr. Jemilah Mahmood has started a monthly series for The Edge Malaysia to explore the intersection between business and Planetary Health.
• News
Infectious Diseases Collaboration and Partnerships
Rethinking AMR, Infection Control, and One Health Systems
• Podcasts
Climate Change Governance and Policy
Climate-Smart Public Health in Nepal: Building Data-Driven Solutions for Climate Change and Health Challenges. Harvard Center for International Development.
• News
