The WHO Bonn School on Environment and Health
announces the 2025 course on Nature and Health
(13 October–10 November 2025)
Call for applications
The online capacity-building course on nature and health will feature
technical lectures as well as practical sessions with applied project work.
It will take place every Monday and Thursday from 13 October to
10 November 2025, from 9:00 to 14:30 CEST/CET. Additional time will be
required for reading and course work before the course and between the
sessions. Total time commitment for the course is a minimum of 54 hours.
Pre-course information sessions will be held 22 and 25 September from
10:00 to 11:30 CEST: participants must attend one of these sessions.
Course objectives
The Bonn School on Environment and Health supports the establishment of leadership in
environment and health at the national level by offering interdisciplinary, multi-sectoral,
inter-professional and international perspectives.
The nature and health course aims to
• strengthen the conceptual understanding, knowledge, and technical skills of the
interlinkages between natural environments and human health through lectures
on latest scientific evidence; and
• strengthen knowledge of the current risks that environmental change and nature
degradation can pose on health and what can be done to mitigate those risks.
Target group and course language
The nature and health course is tailored towards staff of national public authorities in
Member States in the WHO European Region, with up to 10 years’ relevant work
experience. Participants should come from national ministries, institutions and decision-
making entities covering environmental affairs, spatial planning, nature/nature
conservation, and health. The course can take up to 30 participants.
The course will be held only in English.
Course content and lecturers
The course will investigate a variety of aspects and provide evidence related to
- concepts, frameworks and approaches on nature and health
- risks of the triple crisis (climate change, environmental pollution, biodiversity loss) to
nature and health
- health benefits of nature
- applying nature for health promotion.
For further details and a provisional curriculum, see Annex 1.
Lecturers will be international experts from WHO and other international organizations,
the University of Exeter, and a variety of European universities and academic research
centres.
Course certificates1
- Certificate of Attendance
A certificate of attendance will be granted to participants who actively attend at least 12
out of 15 lecture sessions and 10 out of 12 group practice sessions, plus one pre-course
information session.
- Certificate of Training (Optional)
Only participants who qualify for a certificate of attendance can elect to take the exam
on 10 November. A score of at least 80% is required to obtain a certificate of training.
Active attendance requires full-time participation in sessions, an open camera and active
contribution to course discussions.
The exam will be an online multiple-choice test of 20–25 questions and take 45 minutes.
Course application and related requirements
Interested individuals are requested to apply for one of the 30 places in the course through
the online application at https://extranet.who.int/dataformv6/index.php/383213?lang=en .
Application deadline is 5 September. Applicants will be informed by latest 12 September
whether they have received a place on the course.
Applicants should come from national ministries or national institutions of Member States
in the WHO European Region and have no more than 10 years’ work experience in
environment and health.
A minimum level of familiarity with basic public health or environmental concepts is
recommended, as is a basic command of conventional tools such as MS Word, PowerPoint
and Excel, Teams and also Zoom.
Participants must have adequate English skills to follow lectures, actively engage in
discussion and conversation, and work on individual and working group assignments
Please note that the application process requires:
a) a short summary of your interest and motivation for attending the course, and
b) a form to be signed by your supervisor to support the respective time commitment
of minimum 54 hours (see Annex 2).
Course coordination
This course will be jointly coordinated by the WHO European Centre for Environment and
Health and the WHO Collaborating Centre on Natural Environments and Health, at the
University of Exeter, United Kingdom.
For any information on the WHO Bonn School on Environment and Health and the
upcoming course on nature and health, please contact the Bonn School secretariat at
[email protected]
1
This course is not credit-bearing, and does not count toward university qualifications, the European
Credit Transfer and Accumulation System, or equivalent academic credit systems.
ANNEX 1: Provisional course curriculum – please reserve dates in your calendars.
Pre-course sessions (2 options) Lecture sessions (15 total) Group/practice sessions (12 total)
Pre-course information sessions (attending one session is mandatory)
Option 1: Option 2:
22 September 10.00-11.30 CEST 25 September 10.00-11.30 CEST
Week 1: Introduction, key terms
13 Oct – 9.00-10.30 CEST 11.00-12.30 CEST 13.00-14.30 CEST
Day 1 Introduction to health and Introduction to key concepts Group session - Introduction to
nature and their interlinkage and approaches group exercise
16 Oct - 9.00-10.30 CEST 11.00-12.30 CEST 13.00-14.30 CEST
Day 2 Introduction to key policy Introduction to systems Group session: Systems
frameworks thinking mapping
Week 2: Risks
20 Oct 9.00-10.30 CEST 11.00-12.30 CEST 13.00-14.30 CEST
- Day 3 Environmental pollution Climate change and Group session – Problem-based
biodiversity loss learning on country scenario
23 Oct - 9.00-10.30 CEST 11.00-12.30 CEST 13.00-14.30 CEST
Day 4 Climate change and Degradation of natural Group session – Problem-based
pandemics / zoonotics resources learning on country scenario
Week 3: Benefits
27 Oct 9.00-10.30 CET 11.00-12.30 CET 13.00-14.30 CET
- Day 5 Nature health mechanisms Nature in healthcare Group session – Problem-based
and benefits learning on country scenario
30 Oct 9.00-10.30 CET 11.00-12.30 CET 13.00-14.30 CET
- Day 6 Nature-based solutions Protecting biodiversity for Group session – Problem-based
health learning on country scenario
Week 4: Applications
3 Nov - 9.00-10.30 CET 11.00-12.30 CET 13.00-14.30 CET
Day 7 Valuing nature Behavioural insights Group session – Problem-based
learning with country scenario
6 Nov - 9.00-10.30 CET 11.00-12.30 CET 13.00-14.30 CET
Day 8 Future directions Group session – Problem-based Group session – Problem-based
learning on country scenario learning on country scenario
Week 5: Course presentations and exam
10 Nov 9.00-10.30 CET 11.00-12.30 CET 13.00-14.30 CET
- Day 9 Group session – Problem- Group session - Group project Group session
based learning on country presentation • Course feedback
scenario • Exam (optional)
Annex 2: Supervisor support statement
Please have this document signed by your supervisor and upload it as part of the application
process at https://extranet.who.int/dataformv6/index.php/383213?lang=en .
To the secretariat of the WHO Bonn School on Environment and Health:
I hereby confirm my support of the course application by
___________________________________________________________
[Mr/Ms/Dr/Prof] [Name of applicant]
for the capacity building course “Nature and health”.
I am aware that participation in the course
• will require attendance over 9 course days, every Monday and Thursday from
13 October to 10 November 2025 from 9.00 to 14.30 CEST/CET;
• includes participation in a pre-course information session on either 22 or 25
September from 10.00-11.30 CEST;
• needs additional time for reading and course work between the course days;
• means a total time commitment of minimum 54 hours across the course.
__________________________________________________________
[Mr/Ms/Dr/Prof] [Name of supervisor]
__________________________________________________________
Position/title of supervisor
__________________________________________________________
Signature of supervisor
__________________________________________________________
Date and stamp of institution/organization
Saatja: "EURO Bonn School" <
[email protected]>
Saaja: "EURO Bonn School" <
[email protected]>
Teema: 2nd reminder: WHO Bonn School capacity-building online course on Nature and Health (13 October–10 November 2025)
Kuupäev: 2025-08-28 09:00
Tähelepanu! Tegemist on välisvõrgust saabunud kirjaga.
Tundmatu saatja korral palume linke ja faile mitte avada.
Dear Members of the European Environment and Health Task Force,
Dear WHO National Counterparts,
[copy to WHO Representatives and Heads of Country Offices, and WHO EHP
Secretariat]
We hope you have enjoyed your summer break.
Please do not forget to forward the information about the course to
colleagues you think would be interested. Applications are due by 5
September.
Best wishes,
Sinaia Netanyahu
Programme Manager, Environment and Health Impact Assessment
Bonn School on Environment and Health
From: EURO Bonn School
Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2025 11:58 AM
To: EURO Bonn School <
[email protected]
<mailto:
[email protected]> >
Subject: WHO Bonn School capacity-building online course on Nature and
Health (13 October–10 November 2025)
Dear Members of the European Environment and Health Task Force,
Dear WHO National Counterparts,
[copy to WHO Representatives and Heads of Country Offices, and WHO EHP
Secretariat]
The WHO Bonn School on Environment and Health would like to announce the
upcoming capacity-building course on Nature and Health (13 October–10
November 2025).
The course will be online, held only in English, and is free of charge.
It will feature technical lectures as well as practical sessions, and will
take place every Monday and Thursday from 13 October to 10 November 2025
from 9:00 to 14:30 CEST/CET.
The course is tailored towards staff of national public authorities in the
WHO European Region, who have up to 10 years relevant work experience.
The attached flyer contains an overview of the course content and
information regarding the application process (application deadline: 5
September 2025). Please feel free to distribute it across national
agencies and institutions.
Should you or potential applicants have any question on the course, please
contact us at <mailto:
[email protected]>
[email protected].
Best regards and thank you for your support in distributing the course
announcement.
Sinaia Netanyahu
Programme Manager, Environment and Health Impact Assessment
Secretariat, Bonn School on Environment and Health