Eco-anxiety and Memory Studies are more closely connected than they first appear, as both explore how humans process loss, continuity, and identity over time. Eco-anxiety is not only rooted in present conditions but is also shaped by imagined futures, aligning with the idea of anticipatory or “future” memory, where people begin to feel the loss of places, seasons, and stability even before they disappear. This is closely linked to the concept of solastalgia, coined by Glenn Albrecht, which describes the distress caused by environmental changes to one’s home environment, highlighting how landscapes function as repositories of memory. From a Memory Studies perspective, climate change can also be understood as a form of slow, collective trauma, marked by recurring disasters, gradual ecological degradation, and lasting psychological effects, making eco-anxiety both an individual and shared response. In contexts like India, where memory is deeply intergenerational, eco-anxiety emerges at the intersection of inherited cultural practices and growing environmental awareness, creating a tension between the past and responsibility for the future. As environments change, they disrupt the relationship between memory, place, and identity—raising deeper questions about who we are when the landscapes that shaped us begin to vanish. At the same time, eco-anxiety drives efforts to document and preserve these changes through storytelling, photography, and oral histories, reflecting the active role of Memory Studies in archiving the Anthropocene. Ultimately, memory is not passive; it shapes ethical engagement and action. In this sense, eco-anxiety becomes memory in motion—prompting us to remember what is being lost, recognise what is at risk, and act to preserve what remains.
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