Climate Change Impacts: Rural Suicide

Many of the biophysical impacts of climate change have been predicted by climate change scientists and modellers, and much of the discussion around mitigation and adaptation tends to focus on environmental factors. What is frequently occluded in the debate, however, is the very real social impacts of climate change - and perhaps one of the most disturbing indicators of climate change impact is rural suicide.

According to the figures released this week by Beyond Blue, one Australian farmer commits suicide every four days, as a result of the crippling drought (the worst in Australia for more than 100 years) compounded by unproductive landscapes and increasing debt.

For a sense of the extent of the crisis faced by rural producers, it was revealed last week that thirty-eight per cent of all agricultural land is now declared as being eligible for Exceptional Circumstances, a scheme where farmers are paid the fortnightly Newstart allowance. (The Age)

The chairperson of Beyond Blue suggests that a team of 60 psychologists should be sent out for the next six months to help address the anxiety, stress, depression being faced by many farmers. With the impacts of climate change likely to exacerbate the occurance and severity of extreme weather events in coming years, suicide, the most tragic outcome of rural decline is slated to increase.

For the story by Michael Perry (Reuters)
The Beyond Blue website and media release
Australian Bureau of Statistics Data on Suicides
Centre for Rural Social Research article by Ray King and the Social Impacts of Drought Report
A toolkit from Lifeline for Coping With Drought