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

A case study in Bharatpur, Nepal, reveals that dengue and skin infections are significantly associated with proximity to garbage disposal sites, with skin infections further linked to reliance on surface water. While nature-based solutions (NBS) like green streets and rainwater harvesting show potential for reducing hazards by managing stormwater and improving hygiene, the report concludes that NBS cannot substitute for essential urban infrastructure such as piped water and municipal solid waste management.

• A household survey in Bharatpur, Nepal, found that 18.4% of households were affected by dengue fever and 11.5% were affected by skin infections in the past five years.
• Proximity to garbage disposal sites is statistically associated with the incidence of both dengue and skin infections, likely due to mosquito breeding in human-made containers and contamination from leachate.
• Skin infections are strongly associated with a reliance on surface water as the primary household water source, a condition particularly prevalent in peri-urban Ward 29 where 68% of households lack adequate piped water.
• Nature-based solutions (NBS) such as green streets (incorporating bioswales) and rainwater harvesting were identified as feasible interventions to reduce infectious disease hazards by filtering water, mitigating flooding, and improving hygiene.
• The report argues that NBS are not a replacement for basic urban services; effective public health outcomes require the prior establishment of municipal solid waste management and piped water supply.
• Climate change is influencing disease patterns in Bharatpur, with 96% of survey respondents reporting hotter temperatures and the observation of mosquitoes during the winter season.

APA

Pottinger-Glass, C., Ghimire, U., Dotel, S., Rai, A., 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/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/urban-nbs-infectious-disease-bharatpur-nepal-sei2025-011.pdf

Chicago

Pottinger-Glass, Chloe, Uttam Ghimire, Sabin Dotel, Anu Rai, 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/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/urban-nbs-infectious-disease-bharatpur-nepal-sei2025-011.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{pottingerglass2025exploring, author = {Pottinger-Glass, Chloe and Ghimire, Uttam and Dotel, Sabin and Rai, Anu 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/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/urban-nbs-infectious-disease-bharatpur-nepal-sei2025-011.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }