Nature-based Solutions for Health

In July 2022, the UN General Assembly passed a groundbreaking resolution affirming the universal human right to access a clean, sustainable, and healthy environment. This resolution calls upon countries, international entities, governments and the private sector to increase their endeavours in guaranteeing a clean and healthy environment for all while addressing the triple planetary crisis confronting our planet: the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

The interconnected and interdependent connection between human health and a healthy environment is becoming increasingly clear. An unhealthy environment can result in a myriad of significant negative health outcomes for humans and given this fluid and symbiotic relationship between the two, cross-sectoral cooperation, as well as the dismantling of the barriers between the conservation and public health sectors, should be encouraged to attain healthier ecosystems and healthier people.

Acknowledging that human health and a healthy environment are interconnected and interdependent, the concept of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) can act as a way to bridge the gaps between conservation and public health for holistic approaches. NbS are actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural or human-modified ecosystems, offering benefits for both environmental preservation and human well-being. Adopting NbS as a means to tackle human health issues derived from an unhealthy environment aligns with One Health, an integrated approach that recognises the interdependence of animal, ecosystem and human health.

The purpose of the joint WHO-IUCN report is to break the silos between conservation, climate and health sectors, and explore the interplay between biodiversity conservation and global public health while highlighting how NbS can yield mutual benefits.