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oxfordecosystems

Green spaces, nature recovery and human well-being in Ghana

In October Oxford Ecosystems welcomed postdoctoral researcher Dr Laurence Cannings to the Environmental Change Institute (ECI). Laurence is a postdoctoral researcher in nature, health and wellbeing at the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery and Flourishing and Wellbeing Theme of the Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre. He completed his PhD in Geography at the University of Southampton in 2024. The focus of the PhD was to explore how the relationship between elements of objective wellbeing (i.e., financial poverty) and subjective wellbeing (i.e., happiness) interacted within different landscapes and areas of climatic vulnerability in Volta Delta, Ghana. During the PhD research, Laurence also worked with the UN FAO Regional Office for Asia Pacific, expanding how the wellbeing benefits of rural nature-based solutions were conceptualised and monitored.

Dr Laurence Cannings

During his time at Oxford, Laurence’s research will explore urban green spaces within Ghana and the UK and their relationship with health and wellbeing outcomes. The proposed work in Ghana will explore how (i) green space has changed within urban cities, (ii) how communities value different elements of green space, (iii) how different elements of wellbeing, both objective and subjective, are influenced by access to green space & nature connectedness, and (iv) how the values of different community groups are, or are not, represented within the governance of green space and contested areas in an urban context. The research will incorporate various methods, including geospatial analysis, social survey analysis, qualitative fieldwork and policy analysis.

Achimota Forest Reserve, Accra, Ghana

Laurence has a strong interest in understanding the multifaceted relationships between environmental conditions, nature recovery and broad concepts of wellbeing within low-middle-income countries. His research will provide evidence to support how to implement effective nature recovery within Ghanaian urban areas, focusing on ensuring the benefits are equitable and just.

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