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This chapter demonstrates the mental health benefits of nature-based solutions in cities. First, factors that determine urban mental health and adverse health effects of environmental stressors in cities are explained. Second, it is demonstrated that green spaces as nature-based solutions for many societal challenges provide co-benefits for mental health by reducing these stressors. It is further discussed how nature-based solutions may target supporting mental health by providing resources for human–nature interaction, enhancing social interaction and strengthening mental resilience. Nature-based interventions that are originally intended to support persons with psychiatric illness are introduced as models for the design of mentally supportive cities. And third, two case studies illustrate the mental health benefits of urban parks with the example of Leipzig, Germany and of street trees by the example of Hyderabad, India. The two case studies were used as application cases for a recent conceptual framework as a guide for putting science into practice.

Nature-based solutions including urban forests and wetlands can help communities cope better with climate change and other environmental stressors by enhancing social-ecological resilience. Natural ecosystems, settings, elements and affordances can also help individuals become more personally resilient to a variety of stressors, although the mechanisms underpinning individual-level nature-based resilience, and their relations to social-ecological resilience, are not well articulated. We propose ‘nature-based biopsychosocial resilience theory’ (NBRT) to address these gaps. Our framework begins by suggesting that individual-level resilience can refer to both: a) a person's set of adaptive resources; and b) the processes by which these resources are deployed. Drawing on existing nature-health perspectives, we argue that nature contact can support individuals build and maintain biological, psychological, and social (i.e. biopsychosocial) resilience-related resources. Together with nature-based social-ecological resilience, these biopsychosocial resilience resources can: i) reduce the risk of various stressors (preventive resilience); ii) enhance adaptive reactions to stressful circumstances (response resilience), and/or iii) facilitate more rapid and/or complete recovery from stress (recovery resilience). Reference to these three resilience processes supports integration across more familiar pathways involving harm reduction, capacity building, and restoration. Evidence in support of the theory, potential interventions to promote nature-based biopsychosocial resilience, and issues that require further consideration are discussed.

There is no such thing as human health without a healthy planet. Forests are a central part of the planet’s ecosystems and, as such, understanding human-forest interdependence is central to achieving optimal health for all, now and for future generations. Contemporary human health challenges differ across the globe. In high-income countries, there is a dominance of non-communicable diseases that, to some extent, are related to a disconnect from, and unhealthy interactions with, forests. In other parts of the world, health is related to interactions with forests through, for example, nutrition and other services provided by forests or through infectious diseases, such as malaria, that are in turn all impacted by forest management and practices. Planetary health approaches provide a way of considering environmental protection as an inherent part of the solution to health. In this context, forests play an important role. Positive interactions with healthy forest ecosystems can contribute to various services, such as promotion of healthier lifestyles, prevention of disease and livelihoods. This chapter defines common concepts and discusses the need for systems thinking when addressing the complex and dynamic relationships between forests and human health, including the importance of acknowledging voices and knowledge from Indigenous peoples and local communities. It outlines the consequences of urbanisation and humans’ disconnect from nature as well as various theories, pathways and mechanisms that support evidence on positive health impacts of forests. Finally, it provides a framework that brings together the information provided in the remainder of the report.

There is no such thing as human health without a healthy planet. Forests are a central part of the planet’s ecosystems and, as such, understanding human-forest interdependence is central to achieving optimal health for all, now and for future generations. Contemporary human health challenges differ across the globe. In high-income countries, there is a dominance of non-communicable diseases that, to some extent, are related to a disconnect from, and unhealthy interactions with, forests. In other parts of the world, health is related to interactions with forests through, for example, nutrition and other services provided by forests or through infectious diseases, such as malaria, that are in turn all impacted by forest management and practices. Planetary health approaches provide a way of considering environmental protection as an inherent part of the solution to health. In this context, forests play an important role. Positive interactions with healthy forest ecosystems can contribute to various services, such as promotion of healthier lifestyles, prevention of disease and livelihoods. This chapter defines common concepts and discusses the need for systems thinking when addressing the complex and dynamic relationships between forests and human health, including the importance of acknowledging voices and knowledge from Indigenous peoples and local communities. It outlines the consequences of urbanisation and humans’ disconnect from nature as well as various theories, pathways and mechanisms that support evidence on positive health impacts of forests. Finally, it provides a framework that brings together the information provided in the remainder of the report.