People and rewilding

1.1 Building engagement with nature

Feeling connected with and passionate about nature motivates people to want to protect and enhance the natural world, so an essential part of rewilding is to increase people's connection with wilder nature so that it becomes truly welcome in Europe. We need a paradigm shift in how nature is understood and connected with, by people of all backgrounds across the continent.

Many parts of Europe are characterised by rural depopulation as people move from the countryside to the city. Today, 39% of Europeans live in cities and 36% in suburbs and towns, while only 25% live in rural areas. If urbanisation trends continue half of the total EU population will live in a city by 2050 (European Union, n.d.).

Rural depopulation frequently leads to agricultural land abandonment, particularly in areas that were already struggling to compete with intensive agriculture. The negative impacts of rural depopulation and land abandonment on people are both numerous and extensive:

• Local economies decline and jobs become scarcer.
• Schools, shops and hospitals are forced to close.
• Cultural heritage is eroded.
• The overall socio-economic outlook for rural areas can begin to look hopeless.

On the flip side, the growth of urban populations means more and more city dwellers are seeking opportunities to reconnect with nature. Europe's nature-based tourism sector is growing rapidly, with people seeking to escape urban life, immerse themselves in nature and enjoy memorable wildlife encounters. Opportunities for the development of nature-based tourism with its multiplier effects have never been so abundant, but living harmoniously with wild nature requires a shift in behaviours and practices as well as attitude.