The path to a healthier population is paved with restored wetlands, thriving forests, and vibrant urban greenery.
The World Health Organization and The Nature Conservancy have issued a compelling policy brief that reframes the relationship between the environment and the clinic. Protecting Health and Biodiversity through Nature-based Solutions argues that the path to a healthier human population is paved with restored wetlands, thriving forests, and vibrant urban greenery.
Nature-based Solutions (NBS) are defined as interventions that protect, manage, or restore ecosystems. While often discussed in the context of carbon sequestration, this new report highlights NBS as a powerful, underutilized tool for public health. As the world faces a biodiversity crisis with nearly one million species at risk of extinction, the report suggests that saving nature is no longer just an ethical choice; it is a medical necessity.
The report identifies a staggering statistic: nearly one-fourth of global deaths are currently attributed to preventable environmental risk factors. By integrating NBS into health systems, policymakers can address the upstream determinants of disease.
The health benefits of nature are diverse and deeply researched, as illustrated in the report’s Health Benefit Pathways:
Noncommunicable diseases: Greening urban spaces helps mitigate heat and air pollution, which in turn lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease, respiratory infections, and diabetes.
Mental health: The use of nature prescriptions and healing gardens are shown to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, while supporting childhood cognitive development.
Infectious disease control: Conserving forests can act as a buffer to reduce zoonotic spillover or the jump of pathogens from animals to humans, while restored wetlands can help manage disease vectors.
Maternal and child health: Improving watershed protection and reducing wildfire smoke exposure through better forest management leads to improved pregnancy outcomes and higher birth weights.
By shifting from a reactive disease response model to a prevention-at-source model, health systems can become more resilient and cost-effective.
At the core of the report is the recognition that biodiversity is the underpinning of life on Earth. Biodiversity loss is not merely about losing specific species; it represents a breakdown in the essential services nature provides, such as pollination, water purification, and climate regulation.
The report uses wetlands as a primary example of this interdependence. Since 1970, global wetland coverage has declined by at least 22%, a loss that has directly increased waterborne diseases and reduced water availability for over two billion people. Conversely, protecting these ecosystems provides natural water filtration, reduces the destruction caused by floods, and ensures the availability of traditional medicinal plants.
In South Africa, for instance, the Greater Cape Town Water Fund is removing invasive plant species across 54,000 hectares. This NBS intervention is designed to restore water supply, ensuring that healthcare facilities have the reliable water access they need to function.
A central theme of the 2026 brief is the One Health approach. This framework recognizes that the health of humans, animals, plants, and the wider environment is inextricably linked. One Health moves away from siloed thinking, encouraging collaboration between veterinarians, doctors, and environmental scientists.
Crucially, the report emphasizes that NBS are not a modern invention but a practice sustained for millennia by Indigenous Peoples. From the Cofán Life Nursery and Garden in the Ecuadorian Amazon to Indigenous-managed forests, these communities offer a holistic understanding of health that views the environment as a relational asset rather than just a resource. The report calls for plural knowledge systems, urging Western science to bridge with traditional and experiential knowledge to create interventions that are both culturally appropriate and ecologically sound.
Despite the clear benefits, the report finds a significant gap in current policy. Most NBS are still designed narrowly around climate or biodiversity goals, with health benefits left unmeasured or ignored in the financing stages. Currently, only 41% of National Adaptation Plans include actions for managing environmental determinants of health.
To scale these solutions, the WHO and TNC outline several policy priorities:
The conclusion of the report is one of cautious optimism. By positioning nature as a health asset, countries can fulfill the vision of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to live in harmony with nature by 2050. As countries implement the Global Action Plans on Biodiversity and Health, the evidence is clear: the most effective way to protect our own well-being is to protect the well-being of the planet. Advancing health through nature is not just about a single project or investment; it is about fostering a sustained relationship with the ecosystems that sustain us.
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💡 The report identifies high-growth opportunities for companies to align with One Health principles, which treat the health of people, animals, and ecosystems as interdependent. Companies in the food and beverage sector can reduce their exposure to contaminants and enhance crop nutrient density by investing in nature-based insetting activities like soil microbiome restoration and agroecological farming. Looking to explore the impact of Insetting on your supply chain emissions? Let’s chat!
💡 Human health is inextricably linked to the state of our environment, yet this relationship is currently at a breaking point. Beyond direct medical outcomes, NBS strengthen global resilience by buffering communities against extreme weather events and securing essential resources like clean water and nutrient-dense food, shifting health systems from reactive crisis management toward proactive health protection.
