Perceptions and pathways: linking biodiversity to health and well‐being in lower‐income contexts
Author(s)
Browne, Amelia
Hodbod, Jennifer
Sait, Steven
Yiran, Gerald AB
Dallimer, Martin
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
1. The biodiversity loss and human health crises are deeply interconnected, but existing frameworks linking the two are largely derived from high-income contexts, limiting their applicability to much of the world. While these frameworks have been valuable, this gap is especially critical in rapidly urbanising low- and middle-income regions, where health inequalities and biodiversity loss converge.
2. To address this gap, we conducted research in Accra, Ghana, exploring how urban biodiversity influences health and well-being. Using photovoice, 36 participants documented their lived experiences of local biodiversity and their perceptions of its impact on their health and well-being. The resulting data were coded both using emergent and a priori codes based on existing conceptual frameworks.
3. We found that biodiversity interacts with multiple domains of health and well-being through four pathways (‘reducing harm’, ‘building capacities’, ‘restoring capacities’ and ‘causing harm’) that align with existing framings.
4. We also observed two additional pathways (‘spirituality’ and ‘livelihood support’), both of which may have greater prominence in lower income contexts. Incorporating these pathways into our understanding of how biodiversity influences health and well-being contributes to a more inclusive framework that reflects the socio-economic and cultural diversity of rapidly urbanising regions in low- and middle-income regions.
5. We present an adapted framework that integrates these pathways, offering a context-sensitive model to guide future research. Such a framework is essential for informing policy and practice in a way that benefits a broader range of communities, and thus, potentially, better allows us to address health and biodiversity crises together.
2. To address this gap, we conducted research in Accra, Ghana, exploring how urban biodiversity influences health and well-being. Using photovoice, 36 participants documented their lived experiences of local biodiversity and their perceptions of its impact on their health and well-being. The resulting data were coded both using emergent and a priori codes based on existing conceptual frameworks.
3. We found that biodiversity interacts with multiple domains of health and well-being through four pathways (‘reducing harm’, ‘building capacities’, ‘restoring capacities’ and ‘causing harm’) that align with existing framings.
4. We also observed two additional pathways (‘spirituality’ and ‘livelihood support’), both of which may have greater prominence in lower income contexts. Incorporating these pathways into our understanding of how biodiversity influences health and well-being contributes to a more inclusive framework that reflects the socio-economic and cultural diversity of rapidly urbanising regions in low- and middle-income regions.
5. We present an adapted framework that integrates these pathways, offering a context-sensitive model to guide future research. Such a framework is essential for informing policy and practice in a way that benefits a broader range of communities, and thus, potentially, better allows us to address health and biodiversity crises together.
Date Issued
2026-01-01
Date Acceptance
2025-11-13
Citation
People and Nature, 2026, 8 (1), pp.238-255
ISSN
2575-8314
Publisher
Wiley
Start Page
238
End Page
255
Journal / Book Title
People and Nature
Volume
8
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© 2025 The Author(s). People and Nature published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Ecological Society. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
License URL
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
pan3.70217
Date Publish Online
2025-11-29