An Operational Framework for a Safe and Responsible Engagement with Ecosystems in Nature-Based Interventions

Specific forms of human interaction with Nature have been associated with a wide range of benefits for human health and well-being. As evidence supporting the restorative and therapeutic potential of Nature grows, increasing attention is being directed towards structured programmes and activities that involve intentional engagement with natural and semi-natural environments to promote physical, mental, and social health, broadly referred to as Nature-Based Interventions (NBIs). While NBIs are rapidly diversifying in their approaches, activities, and settings, considerably less attention has been paid to the selection of the ecosystems in which these interventions take place. Indeed, the ecological characteristics of intervention sites, which can span from urban, peri-urban and wilder ecological systems, are rarely systematically assessed or considered in relation to participant-specific needs. At the same time, growing expectations surrounding the health-promoting potential of some ecosystems may encourage their increasing use. This raises a compelling ecological concern: without careful assessment of ecosystem sensitivity and its carrying capacity, the growing implementation of NBI may place additional pressure on sensitive ecosystems, particularly where uses related to NBI add to existing recreational or other anthropogenic pressures. To address these gaps, we propose the Nature-Based Intervention Planning Tool (NBIPT), an operational framework combining multidimensional Participant and Site Profiles with an independent Ecosystem Sensitivity Assessment. Participant and Site Profiles are compared to identify appropriate candidate sites and potentially relevant mismatches between participant requirements and site characteristics, while the Ecosystem Sensitivity Assessment evaluates whether the intended use of a candidate site is compatible with current ecological and conservation requirements or requires mitigation, spatial or temporal restrictions, or site exclusion. The illustrative cases, based on hypothetical participant profiles and expert-based sites assessments, highlight how the NBIPT can be further used for urban and peri-urban green spaces planning and natural areas uses management. Although further testing and empirical evaluation involving real NBI participants and multiple real-world sites are needed, the NBIPT has the potential to provide an ecologically informed decision-support approach for more personalized, safer, inclusive, and environmentally responsible engagement with Nature.