Understanding how people value and perceive nature and green space is pivotal in informing effective and equitable nature recovery in urban environments. The importance of urban green space (UGS) and its links to human wellbeing are well-documented within high-income countries. For example, interactions and exposure to UGS are shown to restore attention, reduce stress, provide a space for physical activity, social interactions and personal identity, while also improving physical health by mitigating the impacts from air pollutants and extreme heat. However, despite the provision of UGS being a key element of SDG 11, there is limited research on individuals’ experiences and values in low-middle-income countries, particularly in Africa. The limited research focus occurs against a backdrop of high, rapid urbanisation in Sub-Saharan Africa. For example, the Ghanaian urban population has grown from 23% in 1960 to 57% in 2021, resulting in significant losses of green space in major cities, including Kumasi, the ‘Garden City’ of West Africa.
This project, in collaboration with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi and University of Ghana, Accra, employs mixed methods to examine how urban residents in Ghana value nature, interact with it, and the potential mechanisms which may positively or negatively impact their wellbeing. This project aims to help inform equitable pathways of nature recovery which account for different worldviews and values.
The project incorporates the development of high-resolution landcover models to quantify changes in natural landcover in Ghana’s two largest cities, and support survey sampling to capture residents with different levels of exposure to nature. A large scale, exploratory survey undertaken in Accra and Kumasi captures information on individuals’ interactions with different UGS, their connection to nature, the values held, how UGS fits within the broader interpretation of a ‘good life’, and different measures of subjective wellbeing. Statistical model results suggest changing landcover, the types of UGS interacted with, and the ease of access influence how nature is valued and the potential wellbeing outcomes. The third component of the project collects in-depth, qualitative information from Kumasi to capture the lived experiences and processes which underlie different value articulations and pathways towards improved wellbeing. The fieldwork incorporates focus groups, interviews, participatory mapping – to create spatially explicit information on where plural values of nature are situated – and photovoice – to allow participants to express how everyday interactions with nature may positively, or negatively, contribute towards their ‘good life’.
We are particularly grateful to Prof. Philip Antwi-Agyei , Dr. Frank Baffour-Ata  and Prof. Mumuni Abu for their collaboration on this project.
