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On the impact of nature-based solutions on citizens’ health & well being

Kolokotsa Dionysia, Lilli Aikaterini, Lilli Maria, Nikolaidis Nikolaos

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Summary

In an increasingly urbanizing world, governments and international corporations strive to increase the productivity of cities, recognized as economy growth hubs, as well as ensuring a better quality of life and living conditions to citizens. The urban environment has been associated with citizens' human health and wellbeing, such as infant mortality, emotional health, and psychopathology, infectious disease risk, nutrition, and obesity. Moreover, citizens suffer from various environmental hazards such as pollution, overcrowding, poor sanitation, inadequate waste disposal, and insufficient access to safe drinking water. Nature-based solutions, when integrated into the urban environment, in the form of parks, green spaces, blue spaces, and biodiversity, may have a positive effect on the health and wellbeing of citizens. The present paper aims to review and analyze the impact of nature-based solutions on citizens ‘health and wellbeing. More than fifty case studies are categorized and discussed versus their psychological and physiological effect. The analysis shows that people’s proximity to natural environments is associated with lower stress, faster recovery from psychological events, improved air quality, reduced urban overheating, and increased level of physical activity. Therefore, nature-based solutions can contribute to a considerable reduction of urban life depression and provide alternative ways of overcoming negative impacts on health.

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