Editing IPCC:AR6/WGII/Chapter-7 (section)

==== 7.2.5.2 Observed Impacts on Well-Being ====

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''Overall, research suggests that climate change has already had negative effects on subjective well-being'' ( ''medium confidence'' ) ''. C'' limate change can affect well-being through a number of pathways, including loss of access to green and blue spaces due to damage from storms, coastal erosion, drought or wildfires; heat; decreased air quality; and disruptions to one’s normal pattern of behaviour, residence, occupation or social interactions ( [[#Hayward--2021|Hayward and Ayeb-Karlsson, 2021]] ). For example, substantial evidence shows a negative correlation between air pollution and subjective well-being or happiness ( [[#Apergis--2018|Apergis, 2018]] ; [[#Cunado--2013|Cunado and de Gracia, 2013]] ; [[#Lu--2020|Lu, 2020]] ; [[#Luechinger--2010|Luechinger, 2010]] ; [[#Menz--2010|Menz and Welsch, 2010]] ; [[#Orru--2016|Orru et al., 2016]] ; [[#Yuan--2018|Yuan et al., 2018]] ; [[#Zhang--2017a|Zhang et al., 2017a]] ); in the reverse direction, there is evidence not only that time in nature but more specifically a feeling of connectedness to nature are both associated with well-being ( [[#Martin--2020|Martin et al., 2020]] ) and healthy ecosystems offer opportunities for health improvements ( [[#Pretty--2020|Pretty and Barton, 2020]] ). Negative emotions such as grief—often termed ‘solastalgia’ ( [[#Albrecht--2007|Albrecht et al., 2007]] )—are associated with the degradation of local or valued landscapes ( [[#Eisenman--2015|Eisenman et al., 2015]] ; [[#Ellis--2017|Ellis and Albrecht, 2017]] ; [[#Polain--2011|Polain et al., 2011]] ; [[#Tschakert--2017|Tschakert et al., 2017]] ; [[#Tschakert--2019|Tschakert et al., 2019]] ), which may threaten cultural rituals, especially among Indigenous Peoples ( [[#Cunsolo--2018|Cunsolo and Ellis, 2018]] ; [[#Cunsolo--2020|Cunsolo et al., 2020]] ). Studies conducted in the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu found qualitative and quantitative evidence of experiences of climate change and worry about the future, with negative impacts on respondents’ well-being ( [[#Asugeni--2015|Asugeni et al., 2015]] ; [[#Gibson--2020|Gibson et al., 2020]] ).

''Heat is one of the best-studied aspects of climate change observed to reduce well-being'' ( ''high confidence'' ) ''.'' Higher summer temperatures are associated with decreased happiness and ratings of well-being ( [[#Carleton--2016|Carleton and Hsiang, 2016]] ; [[#Miles-Novelo--2019|Miles-Novelo and Anderson, 2019]] ; [[#Connolly--2013|Connolly, 2013]] ; [[#Noelke--2016|Noelke et al., 2016]] ; [[#Baylis--2018|Baylis et al., 2018]] ; [[#Moore--2019|Moore et al., 2019]] ; [[#Wang--2020|Wang et al., 2020]] b). A study of 1.9 million Americans ( [[#Noelke--2016|Noelke et al., 2016]] ) found that exposure to one day averaging 21°C–27°C was associated with reduced well-being by 1.6% of a standard deviation and days above 32°C were associated with reduced well-being by 4.4% of a standard deviation relative to a reference interval of 10°C–16°C. A similar relationship between heat and mood has been observed in China, where expressed mood began to decrease when the average daily temperature was over 20°C ( [[#Wang--2020|Wang et al., 2020]] b). The causal mechanism is unclear but could be due to impacts on health, economic costs or social interactions ( [[#Belkin--2017|Belkin and Kouchaki, 2017]] ; [[#Osberghaus--2016|Osberghaus and Kühling, 2016]] ) or reduced quality or quantity of sleep ( [[#Fujii--2015|Fujii et al., 2015]] ; [[#Obradovich--2017|Obradovich et al., 2017]] ; [[#Obradovich--2018|Obradovich and Migliorini, 2018]] ). Heat has also been associated with inter-personal and inter-group aggression and increases in violent crime ( [[#Heilmann--2021|Heilmann et al., 2021]] ; [[#Mapou--2017|Mapou et al., 2017]] ; [[#Tiihonen--2017|Tiihonen et al., 2017]] ). For the most part, studies have measured daily response to average daily temperatures and are unable to predict whether the effect is cumulative in response to a sequence of unusually warm days. However, there is no evidence that adaptation occurs over time to eliminate the negative response to very warm temperatures ( [[#Moore--2019|Moore et al., 2019]] ). Some research has found a negative effect of extreme cold on well-being ( [[#Yoo--2021|Yoo et al., 2021]] ); increasing winter temperatures associated with climate change could serve to compensate for the impact of increased summer temperatures. However, the effect of high temperatures is typically found to be stronger than the effect of low temperatures, and in some cases no detrimental impacts of cold weather are found ( [[#Almendra--2019|Almendra et al., 2019]] ; [[#Mullins--2019|Mullins and White, 2019]] ).

Climate change also threatens well-being defined in terms of capabilities or the capacity to fulfil one’s potential and fully participate in society. Heat can limit labour capacity; one study estimated that 45 billion hours of labour productivity were lost in 2018 compared to 2000 due to high temperatures ( [[#Watts--2019|Watts et al., 2019]] ). Both heat and air pollution also impair human capabilities through a negative effect on cognitive performance ( [[#Taylor--2016b|Taylor et al., 2016b]] ) and even impair skills acquisition, reducing the ability to learn ( [[#Park--2021|Park et al., 2021]] ) and affecting marginalised groups more strongly ( [[#Park--2020|Park et al., 2020]] ), although findings are inconsistent and depend in part on the nature of the task ''(low confidence).''

Systematic reviews have found an association between higher ambient levels of fine airborne particles with cognitive impairment in the elderly and with behavioural problems (related to impulsivity and attention problems) in children ( [[#Power--2016|Power et al., 2016]] ; [[#Yorifuji--2017|Yorifuji et al., 2017]] ; [[#Younan--2018|Younan et al., 2018]] ; [[#Zhao--2018b|Zhao et al., 2018b]] ) ( ''medium confidence'' ). Malnutrition has also been associated with reduced educational achievement and long-term decrements in cognitive function ( [[#Acharya--2019|Acharya et al., 2019]] ; [[#Asmare--2018|Asmare et al., 2018]] ; [[#Na--2020|Na et al., 2020]] ; [[#Kim--2017|Kim et al., 2017]] ; [[#Talhaoui--2019|Talhaoui et al., 2019]] ).

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