Across the world, climate change is not only affecting people’s physical health but also profoundly impacting social relations, community cohesion and overall wellbeing (Adger et al., 2022). The repercussions of climate change, ranging from extreme weather events to environmental deterioration, exacerbate existing socio-economic challenges and introduce unprecedented new threats to mental wellbeing.

Given the complex nature of the impact of climate change on young people, a transdisciplinary research approach is essential to gain an understanding of the various climate change-related factors affecting their mental health, with a particular focus on anxiety.

This research initiative aims to comprehensively examine the link between climate change and mental health, specifically climate change anxiety, among young populations in Indonesia, Tanzania and Ghana. Importantly, a relational wellbeing approach will be adopted, emphasising partnerships and collaborations with young people. Engaging them as active participants and co-creators of knowledge not only provides the opportunity for them to be empowered by the research but also ensures that the research efforts align with their lived experiences and priorities.

A comprehensive approach will be employed, combining methods to gain a thorough understanding of the issue from both a quantitative and qualitative perspective.

Quantitative methods involve surveying to evaluate climate change anxiety and identify intervention variables for young people, while qualitative approaches entail participatory action research (PAR), engaging young people and other stakeholders in co-designing appropriate measures to alleviate the impact of climate change on youth’s mental health by taking into account social relationships and cultural values.

Utilising and examining the climate change anxiety scale among young people in Indonesia, Tanzania and Ghana will provide initial insights into the current state of climate change anxiety in these countries and offer a broader perspective on its impact on the Global South.

Several intervention variables will be tested in the Global South to determine the factors that contribute to climate change resilience among young individuals. These include socio-economic factors, demographics, gender, cultural values, environmental considerations, community support systems, and familial and social relationships (Ndetei, 2024; Ediz, 2023; Prencipe, 2023). Understanding the intervention variables of climate change anxiety will help identify key factors that either exacerbate anxiety or promote resilience.

Conducting a capacity-building process based on the mixed-method results can enhance young people's resilience to climate change and mitigate climate anxiety.

This study aims to determine the level of climate change anxiety among young people in Indonesia, Ghana and Tanzania, and identify key factors that cause this anxiety. Drawing on the insights gained, the researchers will design context-based interventions to encourage climate change resilience among youth, using a PAR approach. The research also aims to provide decision-makers with policy recommendations to strengthen community climate change resilience efforts and ensure their sustainability.

The activities and outputs of this research will be monitored and evaluated across impact, outcome, output and process levels. The monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) framework for this project will integrate equality, diversity and inclusion principles to ensure that the research process remains participatory, collaborative and culturally sensitive at every stage. The monitoring and evaluation will not only track progress and outcomes but also ensure that the project is inclusive, especially of marginalised youth, and responsive to the diverse sociocultural contexts of Indonesia, Tanzania and Ghana.

The MEL process will be youth-friendly, gender sensitive and responsive to gender equality and social inclusion, ensuring continuous learning and adaptation to reflect the realities and needs of different communities. It will assess progress not only in terms of the research objectives but will also consider capacity-building and policy-impact goals that enhance youth resilience to climate change-related anxiety, while being participatory, inclusive and culturally sensitive.