Natural and diverse environments have profound impacts on health and mental well-being. Embedding nature in urban settings, such as green spaces and blue spaces, which are urban areas that feature bodies of water, is an important way to achieve health-enhancing communities and healthy cities.
To support planners and managers in promoting health and well-being through informed decisions on the local planning and management blue spaces, the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health has produced a decision support tool (DST) on blue spaces and their health impacts. The tool is part of the European Commission-funded BlueHealth project and can be applied by all cities and public authorities across the Region to facilitate creating and maintaining healthier environments and access to nature.
The tool provides local decision-makers with basic evidence on the risks and benefits of water bodies and open blue spaces, taking into account:
- risks to human health, such as injuries, waterborne- and vector-borne diseases, or climate-related risks
- human benefits, such as physical and metal benefits through active recreation, social interaction and access to nature
- environmental benefits, such as habitat provision or regulation of water quality and local climate conditions.
Streamlining natural elements in Lithuanian cities
On 11–12 November, the BlueHealth DST was applied for the first time during a country workshop on nature and health in Lithuania. The event was hosted by WHO together with the Centre for Health Education and Disease Prevention under the Ministry of Health. The workshop presented evidence of health benefits of urban green and blue spaces, and facilitated action tools for maximizing the impact of nature as a mechanism to achieve sustainable and healthy urban settings.
170 participants from urban planning, environment or health backgrounds representing national and local authorities as well as researchers and civil society organizations joined the virtual event, held in both English and Lithuanian. These tools will enable the national and local authorities to streamline natural elements in urban planning and management, and increase the health benefits of green and blue spaces for their citizens.