Perceived Health Effects of Chinese Wetland Parks in the Context of COVID-19

Abstract Wetland parks are designed to support urban ecological protection, flood control and human well-being. Existing research mainly focuses on their influence on ecology and economy. However, their influence on human well-being and health is rarely studied. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic (Peak), people were very concerned about health, while simultaneously wetland parks which are generally considered beneficial to health were shut down. Thus, this study explores the publics’ perception of the health effects of visiting wetland parks and the impact of the pandemic on the perception. From March 5th to 8th, 2020, before the Peak in China was over, 1,400 respondents were surveyed online nationwide. It was found that generally, the public perceived physical and mental health benefits by visiting WPs, and perceived higher benefits in mental health than in physical health. The expected (i.e. imagined) perceived health benefits after the Peak were slightly higher than before the pandemic. The results highlight that wildlife habitat services were considered to be the most important ecosystem services that promote the perceived health benefits. Interestingly, health experts perceived health benefits to be lower from WPs than other groups, indicating that the health benefits of visiting WPs may be overestimated by lay-people or underestimated by health experts. The results provide empirical evidence for managing ecosystem services as delivered by these urban wetlands, in the context of COVID-19 or potential future pandemics, for promoting public health.