Expert Working Group on Biodiversity, Climate, One Health and Nature-based Solutions

This report offers a set of key recommendations and real-world examples as practical models for scaling up NbS to benefit people and nature. NbS, combined with holistic frameworks such as One Health, provide a critical foundation for safeguarding human, animal, plant, and ecosystem health. Policymakers must collaborate with diverse stakeholders to increase investments in NbS, foster knowledge-sharing, and prioritize the protection and empowerment of vulnerable communities. This report serves as a springboard for that action, paving the way for a future in which healthy ecosystems and healthy people thrive together.

To support the growing global effort to integrate health into NbS policies and practices, the IUCN-WHO Report on Nature-based Solutions for Health provides evidence-based guidance and practical recommendations for policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders. The report emphasises how NbS can enhance health outcomes, contribute to biodiversity conservation, while enhancing opportunities for climate adaptation and mitigation. It focuses on how nature-based approaches —such as ecosystem restoration, green infrastructure, and sustainable land use — can serve as preventive and adaptive strategies to reduce health risks, improve mental and physical well-being, and support resilient communities.

The report presents 10 practical recommendations for leveraging NbS to improve health outcomes, aligned with global frameworks like the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It features practical examples on how to effectively implement these recommendations at multiple levels — showcasing case studies and best practices across sectors, from public health to conservation and urban planning.

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. 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.

To advance the integration of NbS and health, WHO and IUCN are set to publish a report in 2024. The objective of this report is to dismantle the silos between the conservation, climate, and health sectors and delve into the intricate relationship between biodiversity conservation and global public health – emphasising the reciprocal benefits that can be derived from the implementation of NbS.

A highlights brief of the report, encompassing ten key recommendations, is presently accessible ahead of the full release scheduled for 2024.