This form of grief is related to the deterioration, disappearance and/ or extinction of species, features of the environment and ecosystems.

There are two ways grief can arise from physical losses. Firstly, fast-onset weather-related hazards such as floods that destroy the homes of many, leaving them with nothing, causing feelings of grief. Secondly, slow-onset, long-term changes in the ecology of the environment over a period of time. A long sustained drought can trigger feelings of grief. These long-term changes are often not taken into account due to the large temporal space required for noticeable changes to occur.

During a drought, communities who have lived in the same region for many generations may notice a change in the environment, especially the elderly who have been living there for decades. The inability to continue with traditions and practices to support their livelihood such as fishing and agricultural production triggers feelings of uncertainty for their future and for future generations.

This loss of a sense of place and relationship with their environment can produce feelings of fear, depression and anxiety. These individuals may also feel solastalgia, coined by philosopher Glenn Albrecht, feeling distressed and homesick due to environmental changes and loss in the place that one considers as their home.