4th World Conference on Forests and Parks for Public Health

Today, urbanization and modern lifestyles such as sedentary lives, increasing levels of mental stress related to urban living and contemporary work practices, low physical activity, noise, heat stress, and air pollution created Public Health problems resulted to a growing prevalence of cardiovascular disease, stress, depression, psychological diseases, and immune disruption among others.  This contributes not only to Public Health problems but also to increased expenditures for health care systems and creates social problems.

An accumulating multidisciplinary global body of evidence has well documented the strong potential of natural environments including trees, forests, urban and peri-urban forests, parks, gardens and other green spaces to promote and enhance mental and physical health, and well-being of the population and to ameliorate such trends.  Contact with nature improves psychological health by reducing pre-existing stress levels, enhancing mood, enabling the recovery of cognitive abilities like directed attention, and supporting restorative process. Urban and ex-urban forests and green spaces may provide walkways and spaces for nature-based activities that may have not only preventive effects on life-style related diseases but also enhance people’s health in general. Activities in nature and green spaces are related to reduced physiological stress (e.g., heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar, stress hormones, depression, anxiety etc.) and improved physiological functions (e.g., NK cells activity, immune system, cardiovascular etc.). Urban forests and green spaces may absorb a part of urban air pollution, decrease heat and noise levels, and thus contribute to improving public health.

In summary, forests, urban forests and other green spaces may be incorporated into public health systems and policies to promote mental and physical health and to reduce morbidity and mortality in residents by supporting relaxation and stress alleviation, stimulating social cohesion, encouraging physical activity, and reducing exposure to air pollutants, noise and excessive heat.

Stated the multidimensional interactions and relationships between forests and green spaces with human health and the cross-discipline nature of this relation an interdisciplinary scientific approach is required. As an integral part of such efforts the multidisciplinary World Conference on Forests for Public Health is organized biannually as part of our efforts to globally promote and encourage knowledge sharing on the latest research trends.