Environmental fear damage from an interdisciplinary point of view

Environmental problems are accumulating in contemporary society. Not only do these problems lead to tangible loss, the predictions about environment and climate also incite fear. How should a tort law system react when plaintiffs take this fear to court? These plaintiffs can base a claim on the concept 'fear damage'. The academic debate on fear damage is fairly new, and the full potential impact of this concept in environmental cases is yet to be discovered. A lack of consensus on how to deal with fear damage in general and specific procedural issues involved in environmental cases lead to legal uncertainty. This doctoral project will conduct research from a comparative and interdisciplinary perspective. The Belgian and the Dutch tort law system will be enriched by insights from the French and the American legal system. Furthermore, a thorough interdisciplinary study will be conducted on the psychological concept of 'Solastalgia'. In this way, the project aims to contribute to a legally sound and pragmatic legal framework.