Singapore University of Technology and Design

Climate change is not only an environmental crisis but also a profound challenge to justice, mental health, and community well-being. This lecture explores how environmental inequalities shape psychological experiences across the Global South, where communities often face the greatest climate risks despite contributing least to the crisis. Drawing on research and community-engaged work from the Philippines, the session examines the intersections of climate justice, mental health, and resilience. It highlights how culturally grounded, interdisciplinary, and participatory approaches can strengthen community capacity, support adaptation, and foster collective action toward healthier, more equitable, and climate-resilient societies.

John J.B.R. Aruta, PhD is an Associate Professor of Psychology at De La Salle University, Philippines, and Founder and Inaugural Director of the Sustainability Psychology and Planetary Health Research Laboratory (SPPHHERE Lab). His research examines the psychological dimensions of climate change, environmental behaviour, and planetary mental health, with a particular focus on the Global South. He serves as Founding Editor-in-Chief of Environmental Psychology Research and holds editorial roles in several international journals. His work has been published in leading journals and has informed global initiatives on climate and mental health, bridging research, policy, and practice through interdisciplinary and international collaborations.