November 4, 2025 08:26 AM IST First published on: Nov 4, 2025 at 08:26 AM ISTOver the last three decades, there has been a consistent criticism of governments and private actors who make environmental policy: Those who seek to protect “nature” know very little about living in and with it. Arguably, their good intentions aside, they are accused of making a false disjunction between humans and the environment, including other animals. A research paper published in Ambio surveyed 56,968 people across 61 countries to measure how “nature-connected” they were. A psychological concept, nature-connectedness seeks to measure the relationship — or lack thereof — between people and flora and fauna. Several studies have demonstrated that such connections impact well-being and are correlated with how people act towards the environment.Nepal, according to the study, is the most nature-connected, followed by Iran, South Africa and Bangladesh. India, in 22nd place, is at the upper end of the middle, while the UK, Spain, Japan, Germany and Canada bring up the rear. Clearly, political activism is not a factor in how close people are to nature. Germany, Canada and the UK, for example, have far stronger Green parties than Iran. But people there are, going by the study, less likely to form bonds outside of homo sapiens. “Spirituality” has a positive correlation with connectedness, while ranking high on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business index is the opposite.AdvertisementDoes the study, then, hint at a return to the old binary between the economy and the environment, between “development” and “growth”? Hopefully not. The better lesson to draw from it might be to listen, learn and find a balance. The people surveyed in the countries at the top of the list want “development” too. The answer might well be to talk to those who live with nature, and listen to their views before planning to make cities and countries more “green” and “smart”.