By Amelia Browne, Jennifer Hodbod, Steven Sait, Gerald A.B. Yiran, and Martin Dallimer
Biodiversity – the variety of plants and animal life in a particular habitat – can strongly influence people’s health and well-being. Yet, most research exploring these links comes from high-income countries, meaning we know less about how biodiversity shapes health in low- and middle-income regions, where cities are growing rapidly and these questions are especially significant.
Our study explored these connections in Accra, Ghana, using a method called photovoice. In photovoice, participants use photography to document their experiences. Thirty-six residents from three neighbourhoods captured photographs of biodiversity in their everyday lives, and we interviewed them about how they perceived the photographs and their content in relation to their health and well-being.
We found that biodiversity supports health and well-being through connections, or pathways, which researchers already recognise. These existing pathways include ‘reducing harm’ (for example, providing food and medicine), ‘restoring capacities’ (for example, reducing stress and restoring attention), ‘building capacities’ (for example, facilitating physical activity), and ‘causing harm’ (for example, exposure to allergens).
However, two additional pathways emerged as central in our study: spirituality, where biodiversity provided spaces and symbols for prayer, protection, and meaning; and livelihood support, where biodiversity provided food, income and security. By highlighting these pathways, we propose an adapted framework that better reflects the lived experiences of people in rapidly urbanising, lower-income cities. Recognising the spiritual and livelihood values of biodiversity can help design urban planning, public health and conservation policies that are more inclusive, culturally relevant and beneficial for communities worldwide.
Relational Thinking 