Keywords
solastalgia
mental health
mining
environmental loss
communities
How to Cite
Share
Abstract
This review examines how ecological grief and solastalgia are experienced in territories shaped by mining and other forms of rapid environmental change. We analyzed ten studies published between 2021 and 2025 across Latin America, Africa, Europe, and the Arctic. Sources were retrieved from academic databases and included research that links landscape loss, mental health, and community life. The corpus brings together qualitative cases based on interviews and ethnography, a mixed-methods study on large-scale resettlements in lignite mining areas, quantitative work validating brief solastalgia scales, and reviews outlining social-ecological drivers. Findings converge: when landscapes shift quickly—open-pit operations, deteriorating water, relocated neighborhoods—people report sadness, anxiety, anger, and a sense of not belonging. Trust in institutions weakens, and place-based cultural practices erode, affecting daily routines and identity. We group results into three dimensions: emotional (persistent distress), social (strained ties and community loss), and territorial (non-recognition of the transformed place). Methodologically, we recommend combining short measurement tools with narratives and observation, stating context clearly (mine type, water impacts, displacement), and adding follow-ups to track adaptation. Bringing ecological grief into environmental policy, education, and community mental-health programs can reduce harm and support fairer decisions in mining regions.
References
Agudelo-Hernández, F., & Guapacha-Montoya, M. (2025). Mental Health, Solastalgia and Food Insecurity in Colombian Indigenous Communities. EcoHealth, 10.1007/s10393-025-01715-z. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-025-01715-z
Comtesse, H., Ertl, V., Hengst, S., Rosner, R., & Smid, G. E. (2021). Ecological grief as a response to environmental change: A mental health risk or a functional response? International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(2), 734. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020734
Kolocek, M. (2025). Large-scale resettlements and solastalgia in the Rhenish lignite mining area. Cities, 142, 106273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2025.106273
Markkula, I., Turunen, M., Rikkonen, T., Rasmus, S., Koski, V., & Welker, J. M. (2024). Climate change, cultural continuity and ecological grief: Insights from the Sámi Homeland. Ambio: A Journal of the Human Environment, 53(8), 1203–1217. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-024-02012-9
Nyakuwanika, M., & Panicker, M. (2025). From gold to grief: The psychological toll of climate change on mining communities in Zimbabwe. Sustainability, 17(16), 7503. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17167503
Pihkala, P. (2022). The process of eco-anxiety and ecological grief: A narrative review and a new proposal. Sustainability, 14(24), 16628. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416628
Pihkala, P. (2025). Ecological grief and the dual process model of coping with loss. Religions, 16(4), 411. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16040411
Vela Sandquist, A., Biele, L., Ehlert, U., & Fischer, S. (2025). Is solastalgia associated with mental health problems? A scoping review. BMJ mental health, 28(1), e301639. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjment-2025-301639
Uribe-Sierra, S. E., Carte, L., Mansilla-Quiñones, P., & Moreira-Muñoz, A. (2024). The impact of open-pit mining in mountainous areas on eco-anxiety and future images of the place. Emotion, Space and Society, 53, 101045. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emospa.2024.101045
Varutti, M. (2024). Claiming ecological grief: Why are we not mourning (more and more publicly) for ecological destruction? Ambio, 53(4), 552–564. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-023-01962-w
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2025 Alfonso Paucár Anderson, Wilmer Paul Juño Taipe, Hipólito Vargas Sacha (Autor/a)