Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Wetlands and Health: How do Urban Wetlands Contribute to Community Wellbeing?

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Wetlands and Human Health

Part of the book series: Wetlands: Ecology, Conservation and Management ((WECM,volume 5))

Abstract

Much discussion relating to interactions between wetlands and people has focused on detrimental effects on health through wetland degradation and potentially toxic exposures. In recent years, however, there is greater recognition of the role wetlands play in improving the quality of human surroundings and providing cultural ecosystem services as aesthetically pleasing places for recreation, education and spiritual development. This chapter explores positive health benefits associated with the use and enhancement of urban wetlands. Potential benefits include improved physical and psychological health, increased community connection and sense of place, and those derived from community involvement in urban conservation.

To illustrate how various human health benefits may be recorded and reported, this chapter includes a case study that explores the community benefits generated through use of the Swan Canning Riverpark in Perth, Western Australia. The Riverpark consists of more than 150 conservation reserves and recreation parklands located along the banks of the Swan and Canning Rivers—a metropolitan river system that holds great spiritual, cultural and social value for the people of Perth. In 2010, the Swan River Trust began a process of parkland assessment and survey to monitor, evaluate and report on the level of community benefit derived through use of this system.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ash N, Blanco H, Brown C, Garcia K, Henrichs T, Lucas N, Raudsepp-Hearne C, Simpson RD, Scholes R, Tomich TP, Vira B, Zurek M (eds) (2010) Ecosystems and human well-being: a manual for assessment practitioners. Island Press, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Beatley T (2004). Native to nowhere: sustaining home and community in a global age. Island Press, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Bedimo-Rung AL, Mowen AJ, Cohen DA (2005) The significance of parks to physical activity and public health: a conceptual model. Am J Prev Med 28:159–168

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bixler RD, Floyd MF (1997) Nature is scary, disgusting, and uncomfortable. Environ Behav 29:443–467

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowling A, Barber J, Morris R, Ebrahim S (2006) Do perceptions of neighbourhood environment influence health? Baseline findings from a British survey of aging. J Epidemiol Community Health 60:476–483

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carter M (2009) Health and the nature of urban green spaces. PhD (Environmental management), Edith Cowan University

    Google Scholar 

  • Carter M (2010) Useability index for the Swan Canning Riverpark—Report 1: Assessment of potential to apply a useability index to monitor the contribution of the Swan Canning Riverpark to community health and well-being. Swan River Trust & Edith Cowan University, Perth

    Google Scholar 

  • Carter M (2013) Useability index for the Swan Canning Riverpark: assessment manual. PlaceScape, Swan River Trust & Edith Cowan University, Perth

    Google Scholar 

  • Collins PA, Hayes MV, Oliver LN (2009) Neighbourhood quality and self-rated health: a survey of eight suburban neighbourhoods in the Vancouver Census Metropolitan Area. Health Place 15:156–164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crilley G, Weber D, Raplin R (2010) Beyond clean toilets: the importance of personal benefit attainment and service levels in park visitor satisfaction. Healthy Parks, Healthy People Congress, 10–16 April 2010 Melbourne. Parks Victoria

    Google Scholar 

  • Curtis JA (2003) Demand for water-based leisure activity. J Environ Plan Manage 46:65–77

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Demiglio L, Williams A (2008) A sense of place, a sense of well-being. In: Eyles J, Williams A (eds) Sense of place, health and quality of life. Ashgate, Hampshire

    Google Scholar 

  • Dutcher DD, Finlay JC, Luloff AE, Johnson JB (2007) Connectivity with nature as a measure of environmental values. Environ Behav 39:473–493

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Francis J, Wood L, Knuiman M, Giles-Corti B (2012) Quality or quantity? Exploring the relationship between public open space attributes and mental health in Perth, Western Australia. Soc Sci Med 74:1570–1577

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frumkin H (2003) Healthy places: exploring the evidence. Am J Public Health 93:1451–1456

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giles-Corti B, Broomhall MH, Knuiman M, Collins C, Douglas K, Ng K, Lange A, Donovan RJ (2005) Increasing walking: how important is distance to, attractiveness, and size of public open space? Am J Prev Med 28:169–176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hadwen WL, Arthington AH, Boonington PI (2008a) Detecting visitor impacts in and around aquatic ecosystems within protected areas. Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Council

    Google Scholar 

  • Hadwen WL, Hill W, Pickering C (2008b) Linking visitor impact research to visitor impact monitoring in protected areas. J Ecotourism 7:87–93

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hartig T, Evans GW, Jammer LD, Davis DS, Garling T (2003) Tracking restoration in natural and urban settings. J Environ Psychol 23:109–123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Horwitz P, Carter M (2011) Access to inland waters for tourism: ecosystem services and trade-offs. In: Crase L (ed) Water policy, tourism and recreation: lessons from Australia. Earthscan, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Horwitz P, Finlayson MC (2011) Wetlands as settings for human health: incorpotting ecosystem services and health impact assessment into water resource management. BioScience 61:678–688

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ibrahim H, Cordes KA (2008) Outdoor recreation: enrichment for a lifetime. Sagamore, Champaign

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan R, Kaplan S, Ryan RL (1998) With people in mind: design and management of everyday nature. Island Press, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Kellert SR, Wilson EO (eds) (1993) The biophilia hypothesis. Island Press, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Korpela KM, Hartig T (1996) Restorative qualities of favourite places. J Environ Psychol 16:221–233

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Korpela KM, YlĂ©na M, Tyrväinen L, Silvennoinen H. (2008) Determinants of restorative experiences in everyday favorite places. Health Place 14:636–652

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manuel PM (2003) Cultural perceptions of small urban wetlands: case studies from the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada. Wetlands 23:921–940

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maller, Cecily, Townsend, Mardie, St Leger, Lawrence, Henderson-Wilson, Claire, Pryor, Anita, Prosser, Lauren, Moore, Megan (2008) Healthy parks, healthy people: The health benefits of contact with nature in a park context. A review of current literature (2nd ed.). Melbourne: Deakin University and Parks VictoriaMcInnes RJ (2013) Recognising wetland ecosystem services within urban case studies. Mar Freshw Res 65(7):575–588

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MEA (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment) (2005). Ecosystems and human well-being: synthesis. Island Press, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Miles I, Sullivan WC, Kuo FE (1998) Ecological restoration volunteers: the benefits of participation. Urban Ecosyst 2:27–41

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miles I, Sullivan WC, Kuo FE (2000) Psychological benefits of volunteering for restoration projects. Ecol Restor 18:218–227

    Google Scholar 

  • Mooney C, Poh-Ling T (2012) South Australia’s River Murray: social and cultural values in water planning. J Hydrol 474:29–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore M, Townsend M, Oldroyd J (2006) Linking human and ecosystem health: the benefits of community involvement in conservation groups. EcoHealth J 3:255–261

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nassauer JI (2008) Cultural sustainability: aligning aesthetics and ecology. In: Carlson A, Lintott S (eds) Nature, aesthetics and environmentalism: from beauty to duty. Columbia University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Neller AH (2000) Opportunities for bridging the gap in environmental and public health management in Australia. Ecosyst Health 6:85–91

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parkin D, Mcalister B (2010) Caring for our riverside parks and reserve: a strategy for managing riverside recreation and riparian vegetation. Australas Parks Leis 13:7–8

    Google Scholar 

  • Pereira G, Christian H, Foster S, Boruff BJ, Bull F, Knuiman M, Giles-Corti B (2013) The association between neighborhood greenness and weight status: an observational study in Perth Western Australia. Environ Health 12:49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pigram JJ (2006) Australia’s water resources: from use to management. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (2012) Principles for the planning and management of urban and peri-urban wetlands. In: 11th Meeting of the conference of the parties to the convention on wetlands (Ramsar I 1971) (ed). Bucharest

    Google Scholar 

  • Research Solutions (2007) Community survey of future values and aspirations for the Swan and Canning Rivers. Swan River Trust, Perth

    Google Scholar 

  • South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council (2011) Final report: Swan and Canning Rivers iconic trails project. South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council, Perth

    Google Scholar 

  • Sugiyama T, Leslie E, Giles-Corti B, Owen N (2008) Associations of neighbourhood greenness with physical and mental health: do walking, social coherence and local social interaction explain the relationships? J Epidemiol Community Health 62:e9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Swan River Trust (2012) Draft river protection strategy. Government of Western Australia, Perth

    Google Scholar 

  • Swan River Trust (not dated a). Issues facing the rivers. http://www.swanrivertrust.wa.gov.au/the-river-system/issues-facing-the-rivers. Accessed 2 April 2013

  • Swan River Trust (not dated b) River guardians. http://www.riverguardians.com/. Accessed 2 April 2013

  • Syme GJ, Fenton DM, Coakes S (2001) Lot size, garden satisfaction and local park and wetland visitation. Landsc Urban Plan 56:161–170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ulrich RS (1986) Visual landscapes and psychological well-being. Landsc Urban Plan 13:29–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ulrich RS (1993) Biophilia, biophobia and natural landscapes. In: Kellert SR, Wilson EO (eds) The biophilia hypothesis. Island Press, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Den Born RJG, Lenders RHJ, De Groot WT, Huijsman E (2001) The new biophilia: an exploration of visions of nature in western countries. Environ Conserv 28: 65–75

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verrinder G (2007) Engaging the health sector in ecosystem viability and human health: What are barriers to, and enablers of, change? In: Horwitz P (ed) Ecology and health: people and places in a changing world. Melbourne: Organising Committee for the Asia-Pacific EcoHealth Conference 2007

    Google Scholar 

  • Volker S, Kistemann T (2013) “I’m always entirely happy when I’m here!” Urban blue enhancing human health and well-being in Cologne and Dusseldorf, Germany. Soc Sci Med 78: 113–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams DR, Patterson ME (2008) Place, leisure and well-being. In Eyles J, Williams A (eds) Sense of place, health and quality of life. Ashgate, Hampshire

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson EO (1984) Biophilia. Harvard University Press, Boston

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson EO (1993) Biophilia and the conservation ethic. In Kellert SR, Wilson EO (eds) The biophilia hypothesis. Island Press, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood L, Giles-Corti B (2008) Is there a place for social capital in the psychology of health and place? J Environ Psychol 28: 154–163

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Natural Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia

    May Carter

Authors
  1. May Carter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to May Carter .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Land, Water and Society,Charles Sturt University, Albury, New South Wales, Australia

    C Max Finlayson

  2. School of Natural Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, West Australia, Australia

    Pierre Horwitz

  3. School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

    Philip Weinstein

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Carter, M. (2015). Wetlands and Health: How do Urban Wetlands Contribute to Community Wellbeing?. In: Finlayson, C., Horwitz, P., Weinstein, P. (eds) Wetlands and Human Health. Wetlands: Ecology, Conservation and Management, vol 5. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9609-5_8

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation