Green spaces – sectoral solutions for air pollution and health

Green spaces -sectoral solutions for air pollution and health Technical brief Key messagesExposure to green spaces is widely associated with health benefits, including mental (e.g.reduced risk of depression and anxiety), physical (e.g.improved cardiovascular health), healthy behaviours (e.g.physical activity) and social health (e.g.reduced loneliness).These health benefits can result in major health sector cost savings.Additionally, health co-benefits of green spaces may arise from interventions aimed at improving air quality, which could partially explain the relationship between green spaces and health.Air pollution is a major environmental risk to health and urgent action is needed to reduce it.Lowering emissions at their source is the most effective strategy for reducing air pollution, but well-designed and biodiverse green spaces within communities may offer an additional policy option to improve air quality, helping to passively mitigate the impacts of harmful air pollutants and create healthier environments.However, the evidence remains limited and the effects of green spaces on reducing air pollution are variable and context dependent and may even be small or marginal depending on factors such as the type of green space, size, location, biodiversity and weather conditions.Vegetation impacts air quality both directly and indirectly and can have both positive and negative impacts on pollutant concentrations and characteristics depending on the design and setting.For example, air pollutants can be deposited on the surface of plants, and vegetation can decrease pollutant concentration, and act as a barrier to dispersion.Also, green spaces can reduce soil erosion, improve urban drainage and help prevent desertification and dust exposure.Nevertheless, unintended consequences may also occur.For example, increased concentration of pollutants due to the trapping effect (such as in street canyons -streets flanked by buildings on both sides creating a canyon-like environment), emission of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) that contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone, and pollen production can have a negative impact on air quality when green spaces are not properly designed and managed. Air Quality, Energy and Health Science and Policy SummariesGreen spaces -sectoral solutions for air pollution and health: Technical brief Priority actions for short-term health benefits include:• the use of properly designed and maintained vegetation in highly polluted areas to reduce exposure to air pollution and decrease the associated disease burden.However, this should be considered as part of a broader strategy including other interventions (e.g.reducing emissions, improving transport infrastructure to promote active mobility, and integrating green spaces with built infrastructure such as green walls and permeable surfaces) to provide more immediate and long-term health benefits.Priority actions for long-term health benefits include:• assessment, guidance and outreach on the role of green spaces in air pollution reduction from different vegetation types and green space design in varying contexts and climates.• plans for afforestation in arid lands that generate dust, considering the climatic conditions of the area and the most efficient and resistant vegetation in each case.Stakeholders from multiple sectors, including the health sector and academia, can play an important role in planning, designing, monitoring and evaluating green spaces to enhance their co-benefits. Key definitionsGreen spaces: Surfaces partially or completely covered by vegetation (e.g.grass, trees, shrubs, etc.).These include -but are not limited to -parks, gardens, street trees, forests and fields, which can be present in urban, suburban or rural areas (1, 2).Green infrastructure: Network of natural and semi-natural systems, such as green roofs or urban forests, that provide environmental, social and economic benefits by using nature-based solutions.It helps create healthier, more resilient urban environments (3).

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