As a novelty, this year they will develop a mobile application to bring nature closer to the family environment
The Department of the Environment of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa has carried out for the first time a study of the citizens of Gipuzkoa over 16 years of age in a sample of 600 people – taking into account different sociodemographic criteria – to know their degree of connection with nature .
The conclusions of this report were announced this Thursday by the Deputy for the Environment of Gipuzkoa, José Ignacio Asensio, at a press conference held in San Sebastián with the regional director Mónica Pedreira.
In the first place, it can be said that there is a general appreciation of nature, since almost 68% of the population of Gipuzkoa says they appreciate nature a lot. The age range between 31-50 years is the target with the best appreciation indices and that of those over 65, those with lower indices. The size of the municipality in which the respondents reside has led to the conclusion that people from municipalities with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants appreciate nature to a greater extent. Despite the fact that at the gender level it is women who appreciate it the most, men say they have more contact with nature.
As a result, there is an important perception in the population regarding the strong correlation between personal contact with nature and the benefits that this entails for their own health. Two out of three Gipuzkoans consider that the contact they have with nature affects their own health very positively. This perception occurs to a greater extent in women than in men, and with special relevance in the younger age groups. Improved mood, optimism, decreased anxiety and a better mind-body connection are the main emotional benefits that the population indicates when it is in nature.
On the other hand, in terms of concern for nature conservation, it is concluded that three out of four women in Gipuzkoa are very concerned about nature conservation. In this case, it is people over 65 who show the highest levels of concern. Among the main reasons that are used to argue the importance of conserving nature are its contribution to people’s quality of life and because it is considered a necessary good for our survival.
In relation to the dissemination of nature, almost all of the people surveyed consider that the dissemination of nature is very or quite necessary and in general terms it is verified that the population of Gipuzkoa is quite permeable to carrying out informative activities on nature both of a more passive nature such as watching documentaries, cinema or nature programs, as well as direct contact with it.