World Parks Academy Webinar - CitiesWithNature: Les avantages de l'accès à la nature pour les communautés urbaines pendant et au-delà des pandémies et des restrictions de mouvement associées

This webinar will bring together speakers from cities and city networks around the world. In the webinar, we aim to share some thoughts, ideas, and experiences on the role that nature (and specifically urban parks) is playing in urban life at this current moment, in light of COVID-19, and how cities (given the need for differing regulations) are bringing parks to people and connecting people with nature, if at all. We would like to explore if there is more appreciation of parks and nature at this time, and if this is telling us anything about what the role of nature will be in the future of our cities. We will hear from a diverse range of perspectives, acknowledging that the situation is contextual and different in each part of the world. We might also explore how cities are using parks at this time, and how urban residents perceive the importance of nature in our cities, especially in relation to the pandemic. We will aim to communicate recommendations on the value of parks and keeping access to nature open, which is especially pertinent these days. We will highlight here how platforms like CitiesWithNature provide tools for cities to remain connected to the global community who is standing in solidarity with their response efforts. The webinar will also discuss and compare experiences, approaches, and responses from a variety of contexts and provide a space for reflection and discussion. Finally, we will share stories around how the need to connect online has come to the fore, especially in relation to information sharing around public spaces and the importance of nature for human health and wellbeing.
 
Learning Objectives:

After attending this webinar participants should be able to:

1. To compare the experiences from various cities around the world in terms of access to and contributions from nature in addressing the impact of pandemics
2. To raise awareness on the value of nature in urban life, particularly during pandemics and times of movement restrictions
3. To demonstrate the multiple health and wellbeing benefits for urban communities in rediscovering and reconnecting with nature first hand
4. To showcase mechanisms to stay connected on virtual platforms such as CWN at this time

Intervenants :

• Timothy Blatch, Global Coordinator of CitiesWithNature in ICLEI's Cities Biodiversity Center
• Kobie Brand, Chief Executive Officer and Regional Director, ICLEI Africa
• Additional Speakers