Stories of Loss and Healing: Connecting Non-Economic Losses and Damages with Gendered Wellbeing Erosion in the Asia-Pacific Region

Abstract

It is well-known that the climatic impacts affect women and men differently. However, more empirical evidence illustrating how, where, when and who are needed to help address gendered vulnerability. Specifically, research investigating the connections between mental health, wellbeing, and climate change can foster responses to avert, minimise and address loss and damage impacts on vulnerable populations. Few studies explore climate-induced mental health impacts, although this is a crucial area for the conceptual framing of non-economic loss and damage. Declining mental health and wellbeing is at the core of non-economic losses taking place all over the world. The existing literature body recognises the disproportionate environmental impacts on women, this study explores non-economic loss related to mental health and wellbeing for women in the Global South. The article uses empirical storytelling and narratives gathered through field work conducted in Bangladesh, Fiji and Vanuatu. The research findings described how climate change risks and extreme weather events negatively impacts women’s mental health and wellbeing, while providing proactive recommendations to address the gendered mental health consequences of climate change.