Hope, Emotions, and Adaptation in the Context of Climate Change: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Climate change represents one of the most critical global challenges of our time, with far-reaching impacts on the environment, infrastructure, and human emotions. This systematic review investigates hope and emotional responses to climate change, incorporating regional insights from South Asia while maintaining global relevance. Searches were conducted across multiple academic databases, including Google Scholar, ResearchGate, Academia, Wiley, MDPI, and PubMed. Of the 92 articles reviewed, eight were selected based on inclusion criteria and thematic relevance. Key terms for the current review of l included "climate change," "climate change anxiety," "eco-anxiety/ecological anxiety," "hope," "mental health," and "emotions." The study found a range of emotional reactions to climate change, from uncertainty, powerlessness, anger, frustration, and guilt to hope, optimism, contentment, and calm. Negative emotion such as guilt and anger were common, especially among people impacted by climate-induced disasters like floods, droughts, and cyclones, as observed in Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. On the other hand, collective climate action and adaptation projects—including interventions including reforestation efforts and renewable energy initiative led to rise to positive feelings such hope and optimism. Young people and children were identified vulnerable populations because of their exposure to climate-related issues, which caused detrimental emotional and mental health consequences. The results highlight the interaction between emotions and climate action; guilts identified as positive emotion serving as driving force in pro-environmental actions. Particularly in areas that are marginalized due to limited resources and access to information, denial and skepticism was more prevalent. Emphasizing the need of fair worldwide cooperation and local projects to handle the unequal load borne by low- and middle-income nations (LMICs), this study advocates more investigation on the emotional aspects of climate change. Fostering resilience, improving climate adaptation plans, and motivating significant action at regional and worldwide scales all depend on an awareness of these emotional dynamics.