“We’re not ready”: Climate anxiety grows among young people in Greece

Climate change is no longer a distant threat for many young people in Greece: it’s a daily reality. In places like Corfu, youth are grappling not only with the visible effects of wildfires and water shortages but also with the emotional toll these crises bring. 

Sixteen-year-old Katerina remembers the day a massive wildfire broke out near her neighborhood. “At first I only saw a small fire, but within minutes the whole ridge was burning,” she says.  

“The smoke was so thick you could barely see. I was terrified.” For ten days, the fire raged, while tourists were evacuated to the municipal theater near her home. 

“I wasn’t even aware of the fire at first, I just saw buses full of tourists being dropped off. That’s when I realized how serious it was.”  

The experience left her shaken, so much so that “every time I see a fire on the news now, I call my friends to make sure they’re okay.” Like many young people across Greece, Katerina now associates summer not just with holidays, but with fear and uncertainty. 

Wildfires like these are becoming more frequent and intense across Greece. According to data from a recent U-Report poll and focus group discussions, 90% of young people in Greece have directly experienced the effects of climate change. High temperatures, poor air quality, and water shortages were the most frequently reported phenomena. In the Ionian Islands, where Corfu is located, nearly 18% of respondents cited wildfires as a major concern. 

But it’s not just the fires that are causing stress, it’s the cascading effects on everyday life. Gregory, also 16 and living in Corfu, points to the island’s chronic water shortages. 

“In the summer, we don’t have water from 11 p.m. to 8 a.m. We have to plan our whole day around when we’ll be able to have a shower.”  

He adds: “We just need to make sure we are home before the water gets cut. There are villages where the water cuts last for weeks. There’s just not enough running water in the island. They’re building a desalination plant, but no one knows when it will be ready.” 

Across Greece, the stress and disruption caused by climate change are taking a toll on young people’s mental health. A quarter of respondents in the U-Report survey cited increased anxiety due to climate change. In some regions, such as Central Greece and the North Aegean, nearly half of young people said climate change was a major source of stress. 

The education system is also struggling to keep up with the effects of climate change. Over 80% of teachers surveyed reported that their schools are not adequately equipped to deal with extreme weather. Some schools lack air conditioning or even proper heating, making learning difficult, and sometimes dangerous. One teacher described schools flooding “with just a bit of rain,” while others reported students sitting through exams in sweltering classrooms, bringing their own fans from home. 

These daily struggles, compounded by fears of catastrophic events like the 2018 Mati fire, in Attica region, that killed over 100 people, feed a growing sense of uncertainty. 

“Ever since I saw what happened in Mati,” Gregory says, “I’ve been dreading what could happen if a similar wildfire started here.” 

For many young Greeks like Gregory and Katerina, climate change is more than a scientific concept. It’s a lived experience, and one that’s shaping their view of the future. 

In 2025, UNICEF, in collaboration with our implementing partner, SolidarityNow, is implementing a pilot project in six municipalities across Greece, working with local civil protection services to adapt emergency response plans with a focus on children, training personnel, organizing awareness-raising activities for child-focused institutions, conducting disaster response simulations, and providing training in psychological first aid for children. Through these actions, the initiative seeks to enhance the preparedness and resilience of local communities, with the protection of children at its core.