Gesundheit durch Naturschutz? (Essay) | Good health through nature conservation? (Essay)

Nature conservation needs to find acceptance by the population. That is why it is suggested that specialists in nature protection seek strategic alliances with suitable partners. Cooperation with the health sector would provide a solution. Health is a theme with a positive echo and nature and its preservation are important for health. In Germany, with this in the background and with the help of a survey amongst experts, existing and potential common fields of action in the spheres of health and nature conservation were identified. In a research project leading on from this the actual alliances between the two fields of action were investigated in three national parks. In the survey amongst experts, key people from interdisciplinary fields (environment and health, town and regional development) in particular were open-minded about the question of potential synergies, though those concerned with health were more optimistic than representatives from nature conservation. In the three national parks, the people concerned were also receptive to the theme. However, people from the central fields of health or nature conservation are not in the front line when it comes to putting this into practice, but rather those responsible for the management of national parks together with the tourist branch, those concerned with management of health cures, and environmental educationalists. Nature conservation is being offered the opportunity to form an alliance with the sphere of health and thereby to profit from the positive image that the latter carries. However, considerable efforts are yet required, both at national and at regional levels.