5 Help people live healthier and more fulfilled lives

Where are we now?

There are significant health issues in Wales. Living in and making use of a good-quality natural environment could help address these as part of a healthy lifestyle and improved physical and mental health. For example, 25% of people will suffer from mental health issues at some point in their lives¹³, while almost 60% of people in Wales aged 16 or over are overweight or obese and the rate is increasing¹.

Health inequalities between different parts of Wales are significant. In the case of childhood obesity for example, 19.2% of 4–5-year-olds in the Vale of Glamorgan are considered overweight or obese, while for Merthyr Tydfil that figure is 33.8%¹⁴. Child obesity is significantly higher in more deprived areas^{1, 14}. Income poverty affects 23% of all people and 30% of people in Wales¹. Healthy life expectancy also varies considerably between different local authorities¹.

While more than 80% of adults in Wales take part in some type of outdoor recreation at least once a year, only about a quarter do so regularly². Women are likely to be less active than men¹. And though half of all children and young people participate in sport three times a week, participation rates reduce dramatically with age¹. Around 3% of people volunteer to protect the environment¹.

Although many people already enjoy the natural world, there are considerable challenges to reconnect some people to the natural environment, learning in and about the outdoors: everyone deserves to live in good-quality and attractive areas with good air and water quality, and should be encouraged in the use of the outdoors to improve both mental and physical well-being.

Where do we want to be long term?

People will enjoy and feel connected to nature, recognising the inherent value of the natural environment and its role in health and well-being, Welsh culture and heritage. Learning in and about the natural environment and the benefits it provides will be part of everyone’s life – and begin in childhood. Making better use of local greenspace in both urban and rural areas will be the norm together with a recognition that physical activity in the outdoors contributes to the prevention of many physical and mental illnesses. Health inequalities between different areas of Wales and different communities will have been significantly reduced, with healthy life expectancy increased.

People will take pride in their local area and volunteer to help look after the natural environment, learning new things and giving back to society, with their efforts recognised and valued.

People will feel reassured that any potential environmental risks, such as living in an area prone to flood or near an industrial site, are being well managed with businesses helping to improve local environments as part of their corporate social responsibility.

NRW will encourage access to the land and water it manages and provide a wide range of opportunities for recreation and volunteering. Access is viewed in its broadest sense – including information and support as well as physical access. We will have joint initiatives with Public Health Wales, Sport Wales and other experts where using the natural environment to improve health and well-being, and active travel such as cycling and walking is encouraged. Social science will help us understand people’s behaviours and how best to nudge and drive change.

The natural environment will be seen as integral to local well-being plans, with Welsh landscapes and seascapes inspiring lifelong learning and participation in sports and the arts.

What will NRW do up to 2022 to help make this happen

Lead by example

• Develop and manage access and infrastructure – walking, running, mountain bike and horse riding trails and access points for example on NRW-managed land and water, encouraging people to use it for recreation, focusing on places where this can provide the most benefits
• Use NRW-managed land and water to support community projects and social enterprises including community energy projects and community woodlands
• Deliver Cyfle, NRW’s new scheme for the recruitment, support and management of placements including apprenticeships, research and work placements, student work experience placements and volunteering, giving people the opportunity to gain valuable skills and share their experience and expertise
• Continue to deliver Plant! where a tree is planted in Wales for every child born or adopted in Wales
• Manage cultural heritage (Scheduled Monuments and listed buildings) on land we manage
• Provide information about our recreation sites and opportunities to promote what we offer and to enable people to make informed decisions about places to visit, activities to undertake and how they can become involved
• Involve people, particularly through PSBs, in the decisions we make where appropriate

Working with our partners

• Help every child in Wales experience and value the natural environment. Work in partnership to influence the new curriculum in Wales to ensure outdoor learning is included within the statutory curriculum for all age groups
• Work with Public Health Wales and Sport Wales to develop joint actions that support joint objectives using the natural environment to improve health and well-being
• Ensure the role of the natural environment in improving both physical and mental health is embedded in each of the PSBs’ Well-being Plans and opportunities highlighted in Area Statements
• Support the Welsh Government in delivering its programmes including the Valleys Taskforce and helping unemployed people get back into work
• Work with partners to deliver the benefits of the Wales Coast Path and Welsh National Trails for visitors and locals alike
• Work with partners, communities and educators to promote the value of the local natural environment and the opportunities they can provide to improve health, develop skills and support Wales’ cultural heritage
• Increase woodland creation and management including public access and opportunities for community woodlands and green infrastructure, using data from our urban canopy study

Indicators for Wales: How will we know if anything has changed?

Indicators for Wales: How will we know if anything has changed?

• Proximity to accessible greenspace – NRW data
• Physical activity in the outdoors and its link to physical and mental health – Welsh Outdoor Recreation Survey²
• People’s understanding and valuing of the benefits we receive from natural resources – National Survey⁴