Staff Reporter :
Nepal has been ranked as the world’s most “nature-connected” nation, with Bangladesh securing the fourth position, according to a global study on people’s emotional and psychological attachment to the natural world, The Guardian reported.
Published in the journal Ambio, the study surveyed 57,000 individuals across 61 countries to explore how cultural, social, economic, and geographical factors shape human attitudes toward nature.
Nepal topped the list, followed by Iran, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Nigeria. The United Kingdom ranked 55th, placing it among the least nature-connected nations.
Countries ranking lower than the UK include the Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Israel, Japan, and Spain – the least nature-connected of all 61 surveyed.
Among European countries, only Croatia and Bulgaria made it into the top 10, while France ranked highest among the remaining European nations at 19th place.
The research, led by British and Austrian scholars including Professor Miles Richardson of the University of Derby, revealed that spirituality and religious faith were the strongest predictors of a deep bond with nature.
Conversely, nations that score highly on the World Bank’s “ease of doing business” index – a measure of economic competitiveness – tend to exhibit weaker emotional ties to the natural environment.
The study also linked diminished connection with nature to higher levels of urbanisation, income, and internet usage.
