iCASP

Transforming environmental research into evidence on the cultural and health benefits of green and blue space

Context

Yorkshire Integrated Catchment Solutions Programme (iCASP) is an ambitious 6-year programme, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council.

Its aim is to use research to make a difference to the environment, economy and society and to promote Yorkshire as a global leader in implementing resilient catchment management. Working in partnership is crucial for achieving integration across sectors and organisations, and landscapes or catchments.

Aims and Objectives

Helping organisations demonstrate the health and wellbeing benefits of the natural environment in both urban and rural settings.

This project will help provide evidence for how to make the most of local green and blue spaces to improve the health, wellbeing and resilience of people living in both urban and rural environments in Yorkshire’s cities and beyond.   

Mental health problems have been exacerbated by Covid-19. Engagement with nature is increasingly viewed as a means of improving mental health, however, there is a lack of shared understanding across the public health and environment sectors of these benefits.  

The project will be delivered in two phases:- 

Phase 1 will work with Natural England to develop an interactive online tool with indicators and metrics that can measure changes in natural capital (benefits of the natural environment), cultural ecosystem services (for example, the non-material benefits people obtain from nature including recreation, aesthetic enjoyment, physical and mental health benefits and spiritual experiences)  and wellbeing. This will also help Natural England, regulatory authorities and Local Authorities to monitor progress on local climate, health and biodiversity commitments such as outlined in the 25 Year Environment Plan and the Environmental Land Management scheme.  

It will support flood and coastal erosion risk management authorities who need to use indicators to assess the mental health costs of flooding. Outputs will inform the second phase.  

Phase 2 will produce a summary of current understanding on how nature-based interventions can be used to promote mental and physical health.

It will provide a visual summary of the volume, quality, and strength of evidence around the benefits of interventions in green and blue spaces such as woods, meadows and parks or rivers, lakes and sea, for health and wellbeing. It will then work with different user groups to develop design principles for a resource that would provide easy access to this evidence.

Updates

The iCASP project has produced an online and interactive summary of evidence from recent systematic reviews: Nature-based interventions for health and wellbeing. What works? Click on the image below to learn more:

iCASP

Context

Aims and Objectives

Updates

Related links

Related links