Britain ranks 55th out of 61 countries in a global study measuring how closely people feel connected to nature, placing it among the least nature-connected nations. The research, published in the journal Ambio, surveyed 57,000 people across 61 countries and found that Nepal is the most nature-connected nation, followed by Iran, South Africa, Bangladesh and Nigeria.
The study, led by Professor Miles Richardson of the University of Derby, found that high levels of spirituality in a society were the strongest indicator of nature connectedness. Conversely, factors such as urbanisation, higher income, and internet use were linked to weaker connections with nature. The World Bank's 'ease of doing business' index also correlated with lower nature connection.
Despite Britain having one of the highest levels of membership in environmental organisations, this did not translate into greater nature connectedness. Professor Richardson noted that Britain's low ranking was unsurprising, stating: 'We've become a more rational, economic and scientific society.' He emphasised the need to reintegrate natural thinking into modern life.
Countries below Britain in the rankings include the Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Israel, Japan and Spain, which was the least nature-connected. Croatia and Bulgaria were the only European nations in the top 10, with France in 19th place.
The study suggests that fostering nature connection could involve using natural environments in NHS treatments, developing rights of nature in law, and incorporating nature into business decisions through regulations like biodiversity net gain. Professor Richardson added that creating 'sacred urban nature' requires more than just building parks.
