The phenomenon of ‘eco-anxiety’ is rising among the youth, and they are protesting the increasing degradation of environment and natural resources and the world’s laxity in combating climate change, Richard Mahapatra, managing editor of Down To Earth (DTE), said on February 27, 2026, at the ongoing Anil Agarwal Dialogue (AAD) 2026 in Nimli, Rajasthan.
Mahapatra has edited the latest (2026) edition of the State of India’s Environment report, which is published annually by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and DTE. The report was released earlier this week at the annual AAD, a conclave of environmental communicators which CSE organises.
The report includes a survey that CSE and DTE conducted on eco-anxiety among youth.
“Our analysis says that these protests are not steered by any chosen leadership. Rather, they are fueled and sustained by various developmental issues. The youth — the world currently has 2.4 billion young people between the ages of 10 and 29 — steer these themselves,” a statement by CSE quoted Mahapatra.
DTE conducted the survey in the October-November 2025 period among 300 people aged 16 to 25 years. Nearly 88 per cent of the respondents said they felt the climate is changing around them; 67 per cent said these changes were already affecting their daily lives and lifestyles.
“This shows how entrenched eco-anxiety has become. Those born in the past 25 years may never have experienced a ‘normal’ climate. From heatwaves to cyclones to floods, the planet’s pulse has changed, and young people are feeling it more than ever,” said Mahapatra. In fact, experts say that anyone born in and after February 1986 may not have experienced even a single month with normal temperatures.
The survey indicates that 57 per cent of the respondents described themselves as ‘anxious’. Many declared they felt ‘helpless’, ‘frightened and sad’, ‘angry’ or ‘betrayed’.
Inequality in income and wealth has been rising since 1990, says the report. According to an assessment, two-thirds of the world population lives in countries where inequality has increased. Any abrupt event, like an extreme weather incident, can push them below the poverty line.
“The World Bank notes that every fifth person is at risk from climate disasters. Today’s world has the highest ever young population — so exclusion from development and future uncertainties threaten youth the most,” noted Mahapatra.
The young world is asserting against the lack of basic survival means and the ineffectiveness of the current political system to respond to their needs. The overarching issue of most protests is economic security, says the report.
The State of India’s Environment 2026 report is available on sale here:
https://csestore.cse.org.in/default/books/state-of-india-s-environment-2026.html
To access the proceedings and presentations of AAD 2026: