Health and Social Benefits of Nature

IEEP: Institute for European Environmental Policy

This report synthesises the available scientific evidence on the many often overlooked benefits for humans and society that protecting nature and biodiversity brings, which are often tied to ecosystem services, accompanied by over 100 practical case examples from across Europe, including 20 detailed case analyses. These examples show the importance of a strategic and planned approach to using nature for realising health and social benefits, including the integration of health aspects into green infrastructure planning at city and regional levels, but also vice versa the integration of the role of nature in health and social policies. The examples also illustrate how individual citizens have started local initiatives to improve health and social conditions.

© 2021 Institute for European Environmental Policy

https://ieep.eu/

ten Brink P.,Mutafoglu K., Schweitzer J-P., Kettunen M., Twigger-Ross C., Baker J., Kuipers Y., Emonts M., Tyrväinen L., Hujala T., and Ojala A. (2016) The Health and Social Benefits ofNature and Biodiversity Protection. A report for the European Commission(ENV.B.3/ETU/2014/0039), Institute for European Environmental Policy, London/Brussels