Implementing Community Recovery Groups To Address Psychosocial Health Challenges Due to Climate Extremes

This proposed study seeks to address psychosocial health challenges that are due to climate change induced natural disasters in Southern Africa. Psychosocial health encompasses the mental, emotional, social, and spiritual dimensions of well-being (Kumar, 2020). Much of the focus on climate change-associated health impacts and response action research in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has centered on physical health aspects and nutritional health aspects. There has been less focus on psychosocial health vis-à-vis climate change in SSA, yet psychosocial health is as important as other health aspects in understanding and addressing the impacts of, responses, recovery, and adaptive capacity to climate shocks and stressors. Our focus will be on communities affected by the 2022 Storm Issa induced floods in KwaZulu Natal province, South Africa and the 2019 Cyclone Idai in Manicaland province, Zimbabwe as case studies as most of the affected households are experiencing psychosocial health problems.