Vital sites : the contribution of protected areas to human health

Like all the Arguments for Protection series, this report is primarily an attempt to assemble evidence about the positive benefits that can be provided by protected areas, in this case focusing on human health. Benefits explored here range from various ways of accessing genetic material to use as local or global medicines, to the use of wild, open and quiet spaces for physical exercise and emotional healing. We also give practical advice for both protected area managers and health professionals about how these benefits can best be realised and what this means in terms of day-to-day management.