Page - 373 - in Biodiversity and Health in the Face of Climate Change

373 Biological Diversity (CBD) COP13 Cancun Declaration on Mainstreaming the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity for Well-being indicates that the Parties commit to “promote the conservation, sustainable use, and where necessary, restoration of ecosystems as a basis for achieving good health” (CBD COP13, 2016). At the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Hawai’i a resolution was adopted (IUCN WCC-2016-Res-064-EN) to strengthen cross-sector partnerships to recognise the contributions of nature to health, well-being and quality of life. See Korn et  al. Chap. 14, this volume, for more detail on the policy support  for  biodiver- sity,  health and climate change. One way to increase health benefits is to incorporate nature-based solutions in urban policy through targets for the provision of parks and green spaces within a certain distance of people’s homes (Shanahan et  al. 2015). For example, East Dunbartonshire Council in Scotland sets out standards for the quantity, quality and accessibility of open space, including parks, gardens, play areas and nature reserves, for its population (East Dunbartonshire Council 2015). It is interesting to note that, along with other commitments to biodiversity conservation and environmental pro- tection, the UK’s new 25-Year Plan for the Environment includes the following commitment: “Making sure that there are high quality, accessible, natural spaces close to where people live and work, particularly in urban areas, and encouraging more people to spend time in them to benefit their health and well-being” (Her Majesty’s Government 2018). Integrated policy and programmes that recognise the increasingly important contribution of nature and parks for our physical, mental, cultural and spiritual health and well-being are essential  (see Box 16.4). The close links between biodiversity conservation and health are also recognised in the Victorian public health and well-being plan 2015–19 and Victoria’s new biodi- versity plan (State of Victoria Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning 2017). The biodiversity plan was launched in 2017 at the 15th World Congress on Public Health in Melbourne accompanied by a joint ministerial statement, the Victorian Memorandum for Health and Nature (D’Ambrosio and Hennessy 2017). The memorandum provides direction for the Victorian Government’s health and envi- ronment portfolios to collaborate in order  to maximise the public health benefits that are associated with being in nature. Victorian Government departments and agencies are now developing a joint work programme that aligns with the Memorandum. This cross-government collaboration gives a mandate for strengthening partnerships across the health and environment sectors. It has also resulted in increased recognition of the contributions of nature to health, well-being and quality of life. This will ultimately lead to better public health outcomes and better environmental outcomes. Protected areas, urban parks and other green and blue spaces not only benefit health and biodiversity but can often achieve significant cost savings in delivering health-care. For example, an evaluation of the largest 85 cities in the USA, covering a population of 57.2  million, identified an estimated $3.08  billion of cost savings in health-care due to the health benefits of parks (Healthy Parks Healthy People 2017). Similarly, Parks Victoria, Australia, has estimated that Victoria’s parks may save  up to $200  million annually in avoided health-care costs through physical activity in nature (Parks Victoria 2015). The cost savings for health-care also extend to mental 16 Nature-Based Solutions and  Protected Areas to  Improve Urban Biodiversity…