NBS & public health and well-being

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How can Nature-based Solutions (NbS) contribute to public health and well-being

Published in 2017

Excerpts from: EKLIPSE report: An impact evaluation framework to support planning and evaluation of nature-based solutions projects

POTENTIAL ACTIONS AND EXPECTED IMPACTS
(p.27-29 of the report)

The urban environment significantly affects the health and well‐being of residents (Barton and Grant, 2006). NBS are supposed to improve the health and well‐being of urban residents through the provision of ecosystem services by urban green spaces (Keniger et al., 2013).

 

Potential public health and well-being actions and expected impacts

Potential actions

Expected impacts
  • Distribute various types of urban green spaces as NBS across urban areas.
  • Provision of health benefits and ecosystem services, which are available to people from different age groups and socio‐economic backgrounds.
  • Provide adequate urban planning and design mechanisms to ensure sufficient green space provision for positive health effects.

 

  • A greater diversity and number of people having the opportunity to benefit from the positive health effects from urban green spaces.

 

 
  • Design of urban green spaces, such as parks and playgrounds, should take in account the needs of children and the elderly while taking measures to minimise the risk of injuries.
  • Improvement of opportunities for exploration by children and improvement of immune system already in children.

 
  • Provide proper urban green space design, maintenance and recommendations to minimise trade‐offs (allergenic pollen, transmission of vector‐borne diseases).
  • Decrease of detrimental effects of urban green spaces.
 

Examples of indicators for assessing the impact of the above mentioned actions are listed on p.38-39 of the report

 

Access the full report online at: http://www.eklipse-mechanism.eu/apps/Eklipse_data/website/EKLIPSE_Report1-NBS_FINAL_Complete-08022017_LowRes_4Web.pdf

(Raymond, C.M., Berry, P., Breil, M., Nita, M.R., Kabisch, N., de Bel, M., Enzi, V., Frantzeskaki, N., Geneletti, D., Cardinaletti, M., Lovinger, L., Basnou, C., Monteiro, A., Robrecht, H., Sgrigna, G., Munari, L. and Calfapietra, C. (2017) An Impact Evaluation Framework to Support Planning and Evaluation of Nature-based Solutions Projects. Report prepared by the EKLIPSE Expert Working Group on Nature-based Solutions to Promote Climate Resilience in Urban Areas. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, United Kingdom)