[The biggest challenge for climate action is] the absence of public solidarity, misinformation and the narrative that “it’s not as bad as it seems.” In Delhi, where the AQI has reached 600-700+, youth who protested toxic air were brutally beaten by police. We increasingly recognise who is most affected, yet we go astray in shared urgency and structural action. In climate-vulnerable contexts, people are forced to succumb and adapt to toxic air, deadly heat, disaster, and displacement, normalising harm because they lack systemic support, the language to name their suffering, and resources to demand political accountability. What should be recognised as injustice becomes “daily life.” People are struggling to secure basic needs, so climate action gets framed as a luxury, even though it directly affects our ability to breathe, work, learn, and live with dignity. Emotional numbness is therefore not apathy but a survival response for those battling poverty, stigma, and fragile safety nets within a polycrisis. Without addressing this, climate action narratives risk becoming extractive, asking the most vulnerable to care the most, while having the least resources to act. Climate action must prioritise collective agency rooted in justice, rather than individual coping or fear-based urgency, which does more harm to our bodies than we already experience. The crisis is deeply psychological, social, and political in nature.

I work at the intersection of climate, emotions, and mental health, passionate about supporting communities most vulnerable yet least responsible for the crisis. My thesis examined climate anxiety and emotional experiences of young people across South Asia using mixed methods (surveys, interviews, focus groups) to understand the impact of heatwaves, floods, pollution, and other psychosocial factors on wellbeing. I design and facilitate community spaces where young people can build emotional tools to stay engaged without burning out, while also deepening understanding of climate change. I have led resilience circles for climate-affected youth and advised global initatives on youth engagement and leadership around climate-health and trauma-informed approaches. I care deeply about climate care being culturally relevant and accessible.