The Importance of Nature Across Domains of Life in Sub-Saharan Africa

Human well-being depends on the natural environment, yet evidence on how nature supports human life comes almost entirely from Western, industrialized societies—not from the regions facing the greatest ecological impacts of climatic change. We assessed the importance of nature for ten life domains spanning four dimensions (Cultural, Community, Instrumental, Personal) among a sample of emerging adults in Kenya, Namibia, and South Africa (N = 2,792). Most participants rated nature as important for at least one domain, while about one-third rated nature as important for all ten. Greater importance of nature in the Cultural dimension was associated with greater life satisfaction, while greater importance in Cultural, Community, and Instrumental dimensions was associated with greater climate anxiety, over and above subjective connectedness to nature, religiosity, and socioeconomic status. Findings suggest nature plays an important role in the lives of emerging adults in Sub-Saharan Africa, which may support well-being while making the risks associated with climate change more distressing.