Damian Sendler, M.D. – The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 25% of the population suffers from psychological and mental distress as a result of urbanization. Aquatic environments and riparian areas (waterscapes) have been shown to improve mental and emotional well-being in preliminary studies. Through a literature review, this study sought to identify the processes of waterscape mental and emotional health promotion. For the general population, we propose a design framework for waterscapes that can achieve psychological and mental health through the values of accessibility, versatility, habitat, and biodiversity. By reducing negative emotions, waterscapes are said to improve psychological and mental health. This can be done by reducing the urban heat island, increasing physical activity, or restoring (e.g., reducing anxiety/attentional fatigue) one’s connection to the natural world. Water and riparian areas provide opportunities for people to be more in touch with nature and to spend more time participating in outdoor activities (e.g., walking, exploring, talking, and relaxing). People’s psychological and mental health can be improved by waterscapes with healing effects. Increasing the efficacy of waterscape ecosystem services for mental health should be the focus of future research. More consistent evidence for therapeutic waterscapes is needed to better understand the complex nature–human health associations, including the characteristics and functional mechanisms of waterscape quality, including freshness, luminescence, ripple or flow, and cultural value.
Damian Jacob Sendler: A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’ (WHO, 1948) was defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) and has not changed since. Only about 29% of adults worldwide do not suffer from depression, according to one study [1]. By 2050, about 68 percent of the world’s population will be living in urban areas, which will increase the number of patients. An effective way to improve mental health is needed in light of the rising prevalence of psychological and mental distress.
Dr. Sendler: Urban green spaces and waterscapes (water and riparian areas) have been shown to reduce exposure to air pollution, extreme heat, and noise [2,3,4,5,6], increase opportunities for physical activity and social engagement, and reduce stress and depression through contact with nature [4,5,6]. Considered in this light, urban natural spaces are excellent potential buffers for human health [7,8], physical and mental [9,10,11,12], and mental well-being. Attention Restoration Theory (ART), Psycho-physiological Stress Recovery Theory (PSRT), and the Biophilia Hypothesis [14] can all be used to explain this positive relationship between natural spaces and human health. Humans will have an instinctive positive emotional response to nature that affects both psychological and physiological measures as they evolve in their natural environment in accordance with PSRT’s theory and ART’s theory of restorative environments [15], respectively. Biophilia Hypothesis, on the other hand, claims that human beings prefer natural environments and have evolved an emotional connection to other living organisms [17] (pp. 31–41), [18].
Water, as the most important physical and aesthetic component of a landscape, is critical to multiple ecosystem services, linking environmental psychology, landscape design, and social and cultural research [3, 19]. In the past, environmental toxicology and microbiology literature on water and human health was more thoroughly assessed, and it primarily focused on ensuring the safety of drinking water [20,21]. Waterscapes have recently become the focus of attention because of their positive impact on human health [22, 23]. Landscapes with an expanse of water, including streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands, the coast, and their associated riparian habitats (e.g. riparian zones), can provide psychological health benefits via the mechanisms of mitigation, instortion, and restoration [24,25]. [24,25]. Many studies have shown that waterscapes can help residents’ physical, mental, and social well-being by reducing stress and anxiety [26,27,28,29]. A neighborhood waterscape, according to research [30,31], is more beneficial to mental and psychological well-being than a neighborhood green space.
The ‘therapeutic landscape’ is a term used to describe these areas that provide physiological and psychological therapeutic benefits [32,33,34]. Mental health services, such as counseling and therapy, are in greater demand as people’s stress levels rise. The stress of medical treatment can be alleviated by the therapeutic benefits of waterscapes. While the benefits of ‘waterscapes’ in areas with water bodies (such as lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands) are more widely known, research on the mental health benefits of waterscapes and their riparian areas has been more mixed [35,36], so further investigation into the positive effects of waterscapes and the mechanisms by which they work is needed [38].
Public mental health benefits greatly from a biannual nature–human connection [39,40,41]. Psychological and mental health benefits of waterscapes have been documented. Green space, on the other hand, has received a lot more attention in terms of its psychological and mental health benefits in recent years. Research on waterscapes for mental health has been limited, so this article focuses on waterscapes for the general population (who frequently go to waterscapes), and its objectives were to identify the processes of “waterscapes” for psychological health promotions, including biological elements, abiotic elements, biodiversity, and exercising; and (b) to propose the desirability of desirability for waterscapes for the general population’s mental health.
According to publications on the accessibility, versatility, habitats, and biodiversity of water and riparian areas, these areas can help improve mental health. Scenes with water, whether natural or man-made, are associated with higher preferences, greater benefits, and a higher perception of resilience than scenes without water [68]. In order to avoid delaying or losing recreational and interpersonal experiences and associated health benefits, the public values access to waterscapes for relaxation, as well as activities of blue recreation or social connections. [73,75].
Damian Sendler
It also aims to summarize design principles for health-friendly waterscapes for psychological benefits, including increasing accessibility, enhancing interactivity and restoring water quality and biodiversity through an examination of the mechanisms of waterscapes promoting mental health.
It was initially thought that places like pilgrimage sites and spas were the only places where ‘therapeutic landscapes’ could be found, areas that not only promote physical health but also purify and soothe the mind and regulate poor psychological conditions [43]. People’s belief in the healing power of the water in these places was fueled by their faith [82,83]. Researchers in the field of psychological healing have become increasingly interested in natural environments, such as parks, gardens, woodlands, riverbanks and bodies of water (including lakes and beaches) [33,55]. Therapeutic landscapes are now understood to encompass a broader range of health-improving activities, such as increasing physical fitness, relieving stress and recharging the batteries [46,80].
There are many types of waterscapes that have therapeutic functions for mental health, but the term “therapeutic landscape” in this paper is most commonly used to refer to waterways such as rivers, lakes, wetlands, and their riparian areas [49,56,65]. The water’s ability to purify and calm visitors is also beneficial to mental health in these spaces [32].
Healthier people tend to live near water, as discovered by researchers in the United Kingdom [67]. A riverside setting has a greater impact on the restoration process than does an urban setting (most notably a park) [58]. The health and well-being of entire populations can greatly benefit from exposure to natural environments [63,78]. In light of the above, a framework for the psychological and mental benefits of (a) waterscapes and (b) physical exercise in waterscapes has been proposed.
Damian Jacob Markiewicz Sendler: People who have had an immersive therapeutic experience with waterscapes [32,45,55] have reported that they were able to experience the highest levels of cognitive and emotional release and release, both of which have been linked to ART [15]. There is a strong correlation between the attractiveness of waterscapes and psychological health [52, 84], which is why waterscapes have become increasingly popular in recent years. Reduced noise and improved urban soundscape are two additional benefits of running water [57]. Waterscapes have also been shown to promote psychological benefits related to biodiversity, space quality, and location form [14,42,85].
Watching birds and fish has been shown to reduce heart rate, muscle tone, and skin temperature while also improving psychological health [48], which is connected to the Biophilia Hypothesis [17]. Viewing certain animals, such as fish and birds, can help reduce the cardiovascular response to psychological stress and alleviate anxiety in university students, according to a survey of 100 adults in a quiet room at Queen’s University Belfast.
Damian Jacob Sendler
Health and well-being in cities are dependent on a diverse range of ecosystem services provided by urban biodiversity [90,91,92]. It has been found that four distinct pathways link biodiversity and health, each with both positive and negative effects: reducing harm (e.g., reducing noise pollution exposure) and building capacity, as well as causing harm (e.g., dangerous wildlife, zoonotic diseases and allergens). As more time is spent in natural settings, biodiversity observation can lead to an increase in physical activity and an appreciation of the environment, which in turn can lead to better mental and emotional health. Biodiversity loss and sedentary pastimes, as well as perceived safety concerns, have contributed to a decrease in positive human–nature interactions [71]. To find out if greater marine biodiversity improves mental health in an aquarium setting, Cracknell et al. (2017) [14] studied 79 participants in the UK. They discovered that this was the case. A comparison of whether a simulated environment is able to accurately represent a real environment has shown that real-world benefits outweigh those of computer-generated ones [94]. As a result, biodiversity, in addition to water features and accessibility, plays an important role in maintaining psychological well-being in blue environments [90,95].
People who live near water in urban blue spaces are more likely to engage in a variety of dynamic activities like walking, chatting, and relaxing, which has the same positive effect on their mental health as engaging in activities in urban green spaces [54,74,96]. More than half of the people surveyed said they preferred waterscapes because of their desire for three distinct types of social dynamics: (a) the desire for friendly conversation and a happy atmosphere; (b) the desire for spaces that provide a variety of opportunities for family leisure and wellbeing; and (c) the desire to form bonds through shared interests and activities [32]. Swimming, sailing, surfing, walking, and rambling are all examples of coastal-based exercises that the ‘Blue Gym’ program in Europe promotes [47].
Damien Sendler: There is evidence that riverside areas of urban blue spaces can help improve mental health. Good mental health is more common among waterscape visitors [44], and those who can see waterscapes from their home are more likely to report good overall health. [45] Waterscapes are more popular with visitors if they have good facilities and a variety of wildlife to see. Because of this, it is important to consider how to best utilize these areas and create a psychologically healthy landscape.
Urban waterscapes, such as streams, rivers, and lakes, as well as the riparian areas that surround them, have suffered as a result of urbanization due to declining water quality, decreased aquatic biodiversity, decreased connectivity, and decreased accessibility. Since riversides can be updated to be more health-friendly, more discussion is needed on how to revitalize the site. In order to accomplish this, the following conceptual design strategies for creating waterscapes that are psychologically healthy have been presented.
A review of the literature found that the benefits of waterscapes on mental health can be influenced by water quality, so mechanisms to restore it are needed for psychological promotion [90,95].
Physical remediation and bioremediation are two of the most common methods used to clean up polluted water. Restoring polluted water through the use of specific organisms to eliminate or enrich environmental pollutants is a biological process known as bioremediation, which includes microbial remediation, phytoremediation, and animal remediation [102].
Experiments have shown that the removal of nitrogen from water improves as the plant bed coverage increases, with a best setting of 5–38 percent. With the addition of rice straw and light ceramsite in two different built wetland plant beds, low-temperature water bioremediation can be achieved [105]. Biodegradation of pollutants can be achieved through the use of plant technologies whose roots are permanently in contact with water, resulting in landscape protection and aesthetic benefits [106–107].
Microbial remediation, on the other hand, uses microorganisms’ metabolic function to remove organic matter from water. Algae overgrowth can be prevented by introducing fish, daphnia, snails and mussels into the water, as well as other animal remediation techniques [108]. [108]. Fish like silver carp and bighead carp, which rely on phytoplankton for their diet, are more likely to survive [108].
Waterscapes have been shown to have a positive effect on mental and emotional well-being, even while exercising in them [51]. A small number of scientific investigations, however, have focused on the design of waterscapes that promote psychological health rather than the mechanisms that underlie it. We need to combine theory and practice in order to promote research on the psychological and mental health benefits of waterscapes. So landscape planners should look into the design methods for psychologically healthy waterscapes and then apply the theories to landscape design in order to meet the social needs.
There has been an increase in the need for psychological support as a result of rapid urbanization, which has resulted in an increase in mental distress, including depression. The therapeutic value of waterscapes has been demonstrated, and it has also been suggested that waterscapes have more benefits than green spaces for psychological and mental health. Accessibility and biodiversity may be the most important factors in promoting psychological health. Future research should focus more on examining the efficacy of waterscapes in promoting psychological health, including the design of waterscapes that are more conducive to psychological health.
We need to think about how to renew urban waterscapes and improve their efficiency in order to enhance the psychological benefits of waterscapes. The design principles can be summarized into three major aspects by investigating the mechanisms of waterscapes on the promotion of psychological health, including biotic elements, abiotic elements (e.g. water features and accessibility) and biodiversity: Accessibility is being improved, interactivity is being increased, water quality is being restored, and biodiversity is being conserved.
In addition to providing physical and mental health benefits [35,51], waterscapes provide cultural ecosystems services [112]. Research on therapeutic waterscapes is needed to provide more consistent evidence and in-depth information about the characteristics and functional mechanisms of waterscape quality, in terms of freshness, luminescence or rippling or fluidity and cultural value, in order to promote public mental health and conserve biodiversity. The effectiveness of each factor that promotes psychological health must also be clarified when examining the complexity and dynamics of nature-health associations in order to assist designers in creating more natural waterscapes that promote psychological health.
