Foo Chee Hung
Construction Research Institute of Malaysia
Malaysia
Title: Human-nature interaction – How human wellbeing is affected by the degree of naturalness
Biography
Biography: Foo Chee Hung
Abstract
Past researches have reported positive correlation between environmental preferences and perceived naturalness, and the natural environments have been shown to have significant benefits for human wellbeing. Even a positive relationship is observed between natural settings and the likelihood of people undertaking outdoor activities (or recreation). This paper presents results of a study conducted in Klang Valley region, with the general goal to contribute to the empirical rationale for linking forest naturalness with human wellbeing. By applying a combination of research techniques and analysis, the present study successfully gives an observational support to the potential relation that links together naturalness, experiential connection to nature, and human wellbeing; where naturalness is an important dimension of environmental experience that may benefit to the human wellbeing (in terms of physical, mental, and social) through influencing the human-nature interaction. A more ‘natural’ forest tends to serve the public in a more diverse way than the less ‘natural’ forest. A more ‘human-controlled’ forest, on the other hand, tends to serve the public in a more specific way due to the instalment of certain facility which aims to facilitate the forest users for conducting certain activity. This paper is of useful in providing an understanding on how such relationship formed within a rapidly urbanized city, where urban natures are relatively more susceptible to the physical and economic changes brought by the ever growing development pressure. Apart from that, a deeper insight of the different meanings of urban natures – in the context of the developing country – is provided.