The UK is one of the least “nature-connected” countries in the world, according to the first-ever global study of how people feel about the natural world.
The UK is ranked 55th out of 61 countries in the 57,000-person study, which looks at how attitudes towards nature are shaped by social, economic, geographical and cultural factors.
According to a study published in the journal, the country most connected to nature is Nepal, followed by Iran, South Africa, Bangladesh and Nigeria. I'm wandering. Croatia and Bulgaria are the only European countries in the top ten, followed by France in 19th place.
Below the UK are the Netherlands, English-speaking Canada, Germany, Israel, Japan and Spain, which is the least connected to nature out of the 61 countries surveyed.
Natural relatedness is a psychological concept that measures the closeness of a person's relationships with other species. Research has shown that people with higher levels of connection to nature enjoy greater well-being and more likely to act V environmentally friendly ways. Low level of connection with nature was identified as one of the three main root causes loss of biodiversity along with inequality and the prioritization of individual material benefits.
Researchers from Great Britain and Austria led by Miles Richardson Professor of Nature Studies at the University of Derbyfound that the strongest indicator of a close connection with nature was a high level of “spirituality” in a society. More religious societies and cultures that prioritized faith over science showed high levels of connection to nature.
In contrast, the study also found that “ease of doing business” (a World Bank scale that measures a country's business-friendly nature) correlates with less connection to nature.
Although the UK is considered to have one of the highest levels of membership in environmental organizations in the world, this apparently pro-nature indicator has been found to have little effect on closeness to nature.
More specific factors that the study found to be associated with a lack of connection to nature include level of urbanization, average income, and internet use.
“Connecting with nature is not just something we do, but how we feel, think and value our place in the living world,” said Richardson, who admitted he was not surprised the UK languished so low in the nature connection league table.
“We have become a more rational, economic and scientific society. This has obviously brought some fantastic benefits, but this is how we balance them with unforeseen challenges,” he said. “How do we reintegrate natural thinking into our very technological world? It's obviously very difficult to change culture, but it's about making the value of nature integral to our well-being so that it becomes respected and almost sacred.”
According to Richardson, ways to strengthen a connection with nature may include improving using the natural environment in NHS treatment mental and public health; developing rights of nature in law, as well as bringing nature into boardrooms and business decisions through regulations such as the net benefit of biodiversity.
He acknowledged that the study highlighted tensions between business and the environment. “We still need a functioning economy,” he said. “There are ways in which we can rethink the way we do business – using nature in decision-making, nature in the boardroom and the net benefits of biodiversity. They can begin to change a system in which nature is seen not just as a resource, but as a stakeholder.”
While bringing nature into urban areas can reinvigorate connections to nature in very urban societies, Richardson added: “It's not just about creating a park. How do you create sacred urban nature? Building a park is easy, but it requires going deeper.”
The relationship between connection to nature and 'spirituality' across countries was found using measures of the importance of religion, belief in God and faith across countries recorded World Values Survey.
Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich and Church of England director of environment, said: “We have long known that spending time in nature is good for body, mind and soul. In the Gospels we constantly find Jesus going out into nature to be with God; he notices the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. I believe that what we notice we come to love, and what we love we come to value, and what we value we want to protect. It all begins.” from children and That is why events such as forest school and wild church are important for people and nature.”
