Island community facing climate anxiety.

Island Life Anxieties: How Climate Change is Impacting Coastal Communities' Mental Health

Elliot Brynn in Climate & Environment December 2025 • 4 min read.

"A deep dive into new research revealing the climate-related fears of island residents and what it means for our future."

Climate change isn't just an environmental issue; it's a deeply personal one, especially for those living in vulnerable coastal communities. While we often discuss rising sea levels and extreme weather, the psychological impact on residents is frequently overlooked. New research from the Amami Islands in Japan sheds light on these hidden anxieties, revealing the specific climate-related fears that weigh heavily on island residents.

The study, which utilized a method called Best-Worst Scaling (BWS), aimed to quantify residents' anxieties about potential climate change impacts, ranging from devastating typhoons to increases in jellyfish populations. By understanding these anxieties, local communities can better tailor their adaptation strategies and communication efforts to address the specific concerns of their residents.

This article explores the key findings of this research, highlighting the most pressing climate-related anxieties of island residents and discussing the implications for building more resilient and mentally healthy coastal communities. We'll delve into how these findings can inform more effective climate action and community support systems.

Typhoons, Floods, and Droughts: Unveiling the Climate Fears of Island Residents

Island community facing climate anxiety.

The research centered on the Amami Islands, Japan, a chain of eight inhabited islands southwest of the mainland. These islands, recognized as particularly vulnerable to climate change, face a range of threats that directly impact residents' lives and livelihoods. To understand these concerns, researchers focused on five key climate-related incidents:

The research team from the original paper pinpointed 5 attributes to explore the residents' anxiety:

Damage from typhoons and heavy rain.
Damage from floods and landslides.
Damage from droughts.
Damage from ciguatera fish poisoning.
Incidents involving jellyfish.

These incidents, already observed with increasing frequency in Japan, provided a framework for understanding the specific anxieties of island residents. The study involved surveying residents to gauge their level of concern about each incident, offering valuable insights into how they perceive and prioritize climate change risks. The survey, conducted in 2016, gathered over 700 valid responses, providing a robust dataset for analysis.

Empowering Communities Through Understanding and Action

This research underscores the urgent need to address the psychological impacts of climate change, particularly in vulnerable coastal communities. By understanding and validating residents' anxieties, local leaders and organizations can build trust and foster more effective climate action. This may involve targeted communication campaigns, mental health support services, and community-led adaptation projects that address the specific fears and concerns of island residents. Ultimately, building climate resilience requires not only physical defenses but also strong, supportive communities equipped to cope with the emotional and psychological challenges of a changing world.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1007/s11625-018-0640-8, Alternate LINK

Title: Understanding Island Residents’ Anxiety About Impacts Caused By Climate Change Using Best–Worst Scaling: A Case Study Of Amami Islands, Japan

Subject: Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law

Journal: Sustainability Science

Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Authors: Takahiro Kubo, Takahiro Tsuge, Hiroya Abe, Hiroya Yamano

Published: 2018-10-19

Everything You Need To Know

What specific climate-related events are causing the most anxiety for residents of the Amami Islands?

Residents of the Amami Islands experience the most anxiety from damage caused by typhoons and heavy rain, followed by damage from floods and landslides. Concerns also include damage from droughts, ciguatera fish poisoning, and incidents involving jellyfish. These specific climate-related events are observed with increasing frequency and directly affect their daily lives and livelihoods.

How did the Best-Worst Scaling (BWS) method help in understanding the climate-related anxieties of island residents?

The Best-Worst Scaling (BWS) method was used to quantify residents' anxieties regarding potential climate change impacts. This method allowed researchers to determine which climate-related incidents, such as devastating typhoons or increases in jellyfish populations, caused the most significant concern among the residents. Understanding these anxieties helps local communities tailor their adaptation strategies and communication efforts to address specific fears effectively.

In what ways can understanding the climate-related anxieties of island residents lead to more effective climate action?

Understanding residents' anxieties helps local leaders and organizations build trust and foster more effective climate action. By validating these anxieties, communities can implement targeted communication campaigns, mental health support services, and community-led adaptation projects that directly address the specific fears of island residents. This approach ensures that climate resilience includes both physical defenses and strong, supportive communities equipped to cope with the emotional and psychological challenges of climate change.

Besides the five key climate-related incidents studied, what other factors might contribute to climate anxiety in coastal communities like the Amami Islands?

While the study focused on damage from typhoons and heavy rain, floods and landslides, droughts, ciguatera fish poisoning, and jellyfish incidents, other factors could significantly contribute to climate anxiety. These might include economic instability due to declining fisheries, loss of cultural heritage sites from rising sea levels, concerns about displacement and migration, and broader uncertainties about the future of their island home. Additionally, observing changes in local ecosystems and biodiversity can heighten anxiety, as residents witness the direct impacts of climate change on their natural surroundings. Addressing these multifaceted concerns requires a holistic approach that considers both environmental and socio-economic factors.

How can the findings from the Amami Islands study inform similar research and community support in other vulnerable coastal regions facing climate change?

The findings from the Amami Islands study provide a valuable framework for assessing and addressing climate-related anxieties in other vulnerable coastal regions. The use of Best-Worst Scaling (BWS) offers a method for quantifying specific fears, allowing for targeted interventions. The emphasis on community-led adaptation projects and mental health support highlights the importance of holistic resilience-building strategies. By understanding and validating local anxieties, other regions can develop tailored communication campaigns, support services, and adaptation measures that build trust and empower communities to cope with the psychological challenges of a changing world. This approach ensures that climate action is not only environmentally effective but also socially and psychologically supportive.