Exploring the potential of urban nature-based solutions to address infectious disease: a case study in Bharatpur, Nepal

A case study in Bharatpur, Nepal, identifies dengue fever and skin infections as prevalent infectious diseases, linked to poor waste management and inadequate sanitation. While nature-based solutions like green streets and rainwater harvesting can mitigate hazards by filtering water and reducing temperatures, the study concludes that NBS cannot replace essential urban infrastructure and services to improve public health outcomes.

• In Bharatpur, Nepal, 18.4% of households reported being affected by dengue fever in the last five years, and 11.5% reported skin infections. Both diseases were associated with proximity to garbage disposal sites, while skin infections are hypothesized to be driven by a lack of clean water and adequate sanitation.
• Nature-based solutions (NBS) can reduce infectious disease hazards by mitigating flooding, filtering water, and lowering urban temperatures; local stakeholders in Bharatpur specifically expressed interest in rainwater harvesting and green streets.
• To improve public health, the study recommends prioritizing the improvement of piped water supply to peri-urban areas and strengthening city-wide solid waste management, asserting that NBS are not a substitute for basic urban infrastructure and services.

APA

Pottinger-Glass, C., Ghimire, U., Saluja, R., Tran, M., Green, J., & Barquet, K. (2025). Exploring the potential of urban nature-based solutions to address infectious disease: a case study in Bharatpur, Nepal. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/publications/urban-nature-based-solutions-infectious-disease-bharatpur-nepal/

Chicago

Pottinger-Glass, Chloe, Uttam Ghimire, Ridhi Saluja, Minh Tran, Jonathan Green, and Karina Barquet. Exploring the potential of urban nature-based solutions to address infectious disease: a case study in Bharatpur, Nepal. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2025. https://www.sei.org/publications/urban-nature-based-solutions-infectious-disease-bharatpur-nepal/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Pottinger-Glass |first1=Chloe |last2=Ghimire |first2=Uttam |last3=Saluja |first3=Ridhi |last4=Tran |first4=Minh |last5=Green |first5=Jonathan |last6=Barquet |first6=Karina |title=Exploring the potential of urban nature-based solutions to address infectious disease: a case study in Bharatpur, Nepal |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=25 February 2025 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/urban-nature-based-solutions-infectious-disease-bharatpur-nepal/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{pottingerglass2025exploring, author = {Pottinger-Glass, Chloe and Ghimire, Uttam and Saluja, Ridhi and Tran, Minh and Green, Jonathan and Barquet, Karina}, title = {{Exploring the potential of urban nature-based solutions to address infectious disease: a case study in Bharatpur, Nepal}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2025}, month = feb, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/urban-nature-based-solutions-infectious-disease-bharatpur-nepal/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }