Climate change and psychosocial resilience in drylands: the need for more evidence

There is increasing recognition of the mental health and psychosocial impacts of climate change. Relatively less attention is paid to the psychosocial dimensions of climate resilience, how interplays between psychological and social factors shape the behaviour of people and groups faced with climate shocks and stresses. In drylands of the Global South, farming and pastoralist communities in drylands are exposed to multiple sources of psychosocial stress, including climate change, conflict, political marginalisation, and rapid social and economic transformation. We argue that public policy, projects, and programmes intended to reduce poverty and strengthen climate resilience in these contexts should be aware of their potential to undermine psychosocial climate resilience. However, at present, the evidence base is not sufficient to inform policy or project and programme design; there is an urgent need for more high-quality transdisciplinary research on these topics.