THE DEPARTMENT of Education will again host this year’s National Climate Change Conference which aims to elevate the discussion of the impacts of climate change on mental health.

The 4th NCCC kicked off on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020.

It will be conducted online through a series of learning sessions live-streamed on DepEd’s Facebook page from November 19 to 25, 2020. Filipino sign language interpretation will be provided.

This year’s conference has the theme “Alpas: Channeling youth eco-anxiety to climate action.”

The keynote address was given by Anouchka Grose, a British-Australian psychoanalyst and author of A Guide to Eco-Anxiety: How to Protect the Planet and Your Mental Health.

Eco-anxiety refers to the amplified anxiety brought by one’s knowledge of environmental changes, which includes the feeling of loss, helplessness, and frustration in the face of climate change. Children are known to be more vulnerable to eco-anxiety as their generation will bear the consequences of climate change.

This year placed the climate crisis on a different spotlight because of the challenges posed by the Covid19 pandemic.

The DepEd’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service hopes to lead the conversation on youth eco-anxiety and how it can be transformed into powerful actions of adaptation and mitigation.

The general objectives of this year’s conference include the strengthening of awareness on eco-anxiety and its effects on young people and increase the participation of learners and DepEd personnel in addressing climate change concerns in their immediate communities.

Some learners will give presentations to share their stories and call for climate action from key decision makers.