About NATURELAB

NATURELAB is a 4,5 year-project (June 2023 - November 2027) that aims to increase the recognition and promotion of natural spaces emphasising their importance for public health, environmental sustainability and resilience to extreme climate events. It will investigate the benefits of nature-based therapies (NBT) for people with different health needs in various geographical contexts. NATURELAB consortium comprises 14 partners, covering academic and research institutions, environmental NGOs, SME, and public bodies, and is coordinated by the Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil (LNEC) in Portugal. 

The project will test and validate NBT offered to participants of different age groups, distinct socio-economic backgrounds and health and well-being care needs, including prevention and support for physical and for mental health conditions.

Nature-based therapeutic programmes are currently being designed to the project Experimental Sites located in five countries, including Peru, Portugal, Greece, Germany, and the Netherlands. These sites and countries vary in terms of climate, geography, culture, population density, and health and social care systems, which allow for a broad and holistic perspective. NATURELAB developed a framework of key indicators of green and blue spaces characteristics that have potential to contribute to health and well-being, as well as to promote the resilience to climate extremes. 

• Study the connections between nature-based interventions and health and well-being. 
• Formulate a comprehensive framework to assess natural environments like forests, urban parks, and healing gardens for their potential to enhance health and the development of guidelines for the design and exploitation of Healing Gardens. 
• Design and evaluate nature-based interventions using forests, urban parks, horticulture, and gardening, catering to diverse health and well-being needs across cultures, age, gender, socio-economic backgrounds, and other factors.
• Create and disseminate tailored guidelines for policymakers, authorities, urban planners, healthcare providers, social organisations, and educational institutions to encourage the adoption of NBT. 
• Establish tools and guidelines for integrating nature-based care into the public health sector.

• Establish key indicators to characterize therapeutic potential of nature spaces 
• Establish and validate the methodology, structure, and components for a portfolio of NBI structured programmes 
• Design tailored therapeutic programmes to improve participants' physical and mental health and well-being 
• Develop and implement project research activities in 15 Experimental Sites and 4 Demonstrator Fellows in Portugal, Greece, The Netherlands, Germany and Peru

• Lack of awareness on NBS adn NBT 
• Lack of interest in the NBT and NBI topics - Distrust on the scientific evidence of NBTs 
• Difficulty reaching some stakeholders and the presence of bureaucratic barriers 
• Confusing information due to several projects or research efforts with differing viewpoints

• Funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No. 101083857
• Co-funded by the UK Research and Innovation Grant Award No. 10067111

1. LABORATORIO NACIONAL DE ENGENHARIA CIVIL (LNEC) [coordinator] 

2. KLINIKUM DER UNIVERSITAET ZU KOELN (UHC) 

3. FOREHUB LDA (FTHub) 

4. UNIVERSITAET GREIFSWALD (UG) 

5. KENTRO MERIMNAS OIKOGENEIAS KAI PAIDIOU (KMOP) 

6. SOCIEDADE PORTUGUESA DE INOVACAO CONSULTADORIA EMPRESARIAL E FOMENTO DA INOVACAO SA (SPI) 

7. ASOCIACION PERUANA DE HORTICULTURA TERAPEUTICA Y SOCIAL (APHTS) 

8. MUNICIPIO DE SINTRA (CMS) 

9. RIO NEIVA ASSOCIACAO DE DEFESA DO AMBIENTE (RN) 

10. WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY (WU) 

11. STICHTING VU (VU) 

12. FICUS PERU DESARROLLO SOCIOAMBIENTAL (FICUS)

Project associated partners

• CANARY WHARF CONSULTING LIMITED (CWC) 
• BIOCON VALLEY GMBH (BCV)