Nature can provide Finland with benefits totalling up to hundreds of millions of euros in fighting chronic diseases

Nature has significant health benefits that help secure Finnish people’s well-being and reduce the burden caused by endemic diseases.  If the health benefits of nature were widely integrated into people's daily lives and healthcare, Finland could also reduce the societal costs of chronic diseases.

This was one of the conclusions of a study (summary in English) carried out by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) and the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), that was funded by the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra. In the study, the researchers reviewed key Nordic research data on the health effects of nature gathered over the past 20 years.

Research literature shows that among other impacts, access to nature promotes mental health: it protects individuals against depression, relieves stress and improves mood. This finding is significant, as mental health disorders cause Finland an estimated annual cost of 11 billion euros in addition to human suffering. Up to one in four young people in Finland suffer from mental disorders.

Natural environments such as nearby urban forests and green spaces also help prevent cardiovascular diseases and possibly respiratory diseases, including asthma and allergies.

“The research evidence on the health benefits of nature is strong, especially in promoting mental wellbeing. Natural environments should therefore be used more extensively to prevent mental health problems and support current therapies,” propose Research Professor Liisa Tyrväinen from Luke and Chief Researcher Jaana Halonen from THL.

Finnish people usually derive the benefits from the natural environments near home and work, as well as from nature excursions and leisure housing. The effects have several mechanisms. For example, nature protects against pollution, noise and excessive heat, encourages to exercise, and offers opportunities for calming down. In addition, direct contact with beneficial microbes in the soil or vegetation can strengthen the functioning of the body’s defence system.

Nature’s health benefits have significant economic value

The report is the first to assess the economic significance of nature’s health benefits in Finland using health economics.

The study chose to examine the incidence of depression and type 2 diabetes, and the use of asthma medication. There is research evidence from the Nordic countries on the impact of natural environments on the incidence or treatment of these diseases that are significant in terms of public health. The calculations were carried out by Nordic Healthcare Group (NHG), an advisory and research company specialising in health and social care.

The study assessed how a 10% decrease in the proportion of  green area in urban environments would affect the overall costs to society. According to the calculations, the total annual costs of depression would increase by 71–150 million euros, and those of type 2 diabetes by 67–139 million euros from the baseline. The total costs depend on how the monetary value of a deteriorated quality of life and life years lost is determined.

In the case of asthma, it was found that if Finnish people increased their weekly visits to nature, the annual cost of medication for asthma would decrease.

“The calculations indicate that for the incidence of depression and type 2 diabetes and the use of asthma medication alone, the economic significance of nature’s health benefits can be hundreds of millions of euros per year in Finland. Overall, the economic potential of nature’s health benefits is probably even greater than this. However, more research is needed,” emphasise Tyrväinen and Halonen.

For example, in Belgium, it has been estimated that the economic significance of nature’s health benefits totals 464 euros per capita per year. With the Finnish population, this would mean annual benefits of up to 2.5 billion euros.

A national Nature health programme to access nature’s health benefits

To make the health benefits of nature widely available, the authors of the report propose a national nature health programme for Finland. It would aim to instill nature’s health benefits into people’s everyday lives and into social welfare and health care.

Experiences from regional programmes such as the Päijät-Häme Nature Step to Health Programme  (in Finnish) provide a valuable contribution to the preparation of the programme.

“We have gathered enough research evidence on the health benefits of nature to calculate the economic value of nature’s ability to reduce the burden of diseases. Even according to this conservative estimate, the savings potential for society is hundreds of millions of euros per year. As the public economy is struggling due to the crisis in health care financing, the need to find new, cost-reducing solutions is greater than ever,” says Lasse Miettinen, Director of Sitra’s Programmes function.

“A national Nature health programme has been proposed for at least ten years. This study shows that now is the right time to take action. Sitra is ready to contribute to seizing this opportunity,” adds Miettinen.

The report also contains recommendations for the social welfare and healthcare sector and municipalities. It states that it would be important for municipalities to pay more attention to the health effects of nature in planning of land use and residential areas, and the building of schools and daycare centres. In the social welfare and healthcare sector, the health benefits of nature should be included in healthcare recommendations, treatment paths and the training of professionals.

The key findings and recommendations of the report are also summarised in a working paper (summary in English) published by Sitra. 

The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra promotes Finland’s well-being and accelerates economic growth within the limits of nature’s carrying capacity. In its new strategy, Sitra will strengthen the production of foresight information on Finland’s major future challenges, promote Finland’s renewal through social innovations and increase co-operation with partners to make the solutions widely available.