IUCN WCPA’s Health & Well-Being Specialist Group was represented by the Chair, Jo Hopkins, at the Australian Global Biodiversity Workshop earlier this year, who highlighted the importance of GBF Target 12 and how it can be implemented (Target 12: “Significantly increase the area and quality and connectivity of, access to, and benefits from green and blue spaces in urban and densely populated areas sustainably, by mainstreaming the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and ensure biodiversity-inclusive urban planning, enhancing native biodiversity, ecological connectivity and integrity, and improving human health and well-being and connection to nature and contributing to inclusive and sustainable urbanization and the provision of ecosystem functions and services”).
To achieve this target, the Specialist Group Chair noted that we need more recognition of the value of natural assets and the triple crises of biodiversity loss, climate emergency, and poor human health, financial incentives to increase the percentage of green and blue spaces, and more work on quantifying the benefits, metrics and tools (e.g.: IUCN Urban Nature Index), among other solutions.
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