Recognising the urgent need to respond to rapid societal and environmental change, resilience is one of the University of Twente’s spearheads. As an academic institution, we have a role to play in strengthening the resilience of the social, technological and environmental systems that support us. In this weekly series of the Resilience@UT programme, UT researchers share their personal reflections on current events and trends that impact our daily lives, exploring their implications for resilience. This week Thomas van Rompay explores how we can use imagination and creativity to increase our exposure to the healthy benefits of nature.
When you open your window
…‘You should be able to see at least three trees when you look out the window’, the voice over the radio said. Rightly so: trees are water managers and dampen the effects of heatwaves, provide shelter to birds singing melodies pure and true… But did you also know that if you have more greenery around, you can add 2.5 years to your life expectancy? So yes, in the end trees are a matter of life and death, not a lust but a must.
Why is it then that in so many building developments grey stones still take precedence over trees, a situation that worsens when you cross the railroad track to the low income side of town? What if we could start with green rather than with digital twin technologies or smart grids? Not having green space means losing that connection with nature that keeps us sane and resilient in the face of life’s challenges, including the tremendous task of safeguarding the future of our planet.
Rethinking Technology
This is not a back-to-nature or anti-tech rant, but we need to rethink the application of technologies (especially virtual and augmented reality) and treat them as allies in our quest to reconnect with nature; never as a substitute for the real thing but rather as a complementary means of interacting with nature if you will. Right now, half of the global population resides in urban areas, and this is projected to reach 70% by 2050. In addition to making cities as green as possible, we need to be creative in safeguarding our connection with nature.
Perhaps we can consider the potential role of technologies, like VR in this case, as being analogous to that of the arts. Imagine an East Yorkshire landscape painting by David Hockney. We don’t question whether the image is a substitute for its ‘real life’ counterpart. Of course it isn’t! But losing yourself in the space portrayed on canvas can be an awe-inspiring experience that makes you wonder and dream, and one that strengthens your connection with nature. As such, simulations (whether artistic, virtual or both) can at least bring some of the same benefits that real landscapes do.
Use your imagination
I read a story the other day about a Chinese monk called Zong Bing. As a Daoist who sought enlightenment, he had travelled all his life to mountains and rivers. One day, he was no longer able to roam freely because of his age. While contemplating his loss, he reasoned that although his body was no longer up to the task, his mind was still free to roam. So, he took up the brush and started painting the mountains and rivers that he had visited so many times. After meditating in front of his painting on the wall, he lay down on his matt and relived his journeys among these images of mountains and waters…
We may not be landscape painters, but can we perhaps use the example set by Zong Bing and fuse our capacities for imagination and creativity with our latest technological inventions? I think we should.
(Photo: Ksenia Chernaya, pexels.com)
Thomas van Rompay is an Associate Professor at the Department of Communication Science of the University of Twente (UT) in the Netherlands.
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