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Interview with a NatCapper: Baolong Han

Chinese Academy of Sciences-based NatCap researcher helps spearhead research on the effects of urban nature on mental health.

In this interview, we talk with Baolong Han, a scientist with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, one of the Natural Capital Project’s core partners. Han is currently spending a year working from the Stanford offices of NatCap. Han helps to organize NatCap’s biannual InVEST trainings in China, as well as NatCap’s China-based work on urban nature and mental health.

Baolong Han (center) with Hua Zheng (left) and Charles Katz
Baolong Han (center) with Hua Zheng, another NatCapper leader from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (left), and Charles Katz, longtime NatCap advisor. Credit: Steve Fisch/Cyperus Media. 

Tell us about your role at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

I am an Associate Professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). My main focus is on urban ecosystem research, such as urban ecosystem service assessments and urban nature conservation.

Can you talk a little bit about your background and the road you took to get to CAS?

I have a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a Master’s in economics. When I was applying for a Ph.D., the person who became my doctoral advisor and mentor was seeking someone to conduct research on economy-nature relationships. This opportunity allowed me to join CAS in 2011, where I have been ever since. 

After earning my Ph.D, I became a postdoctoral researcher under Professor Zhiyun Ouyang, a NatCap leader based at CAS. From then on, I have been focused on urban ecosystem assessment research.

Can you describe your experiences collaborating with NatCap and how this partnership is useful to you and your work?

I first met Gretchen, Mary, Steve, and many others from NatCap in 2017, when the Stanford NatCap and CAS teams engaged in deep discussions on urban ecosystem service modeling in Shenzhen, my long-term research site. The Stanford-NatCap team provided valuable suggestions and insights during that time. Since then, I have attended every NatCap Symposium and helped organize numerous InVEST trainings in China, greatly expanding our research collaborations.

The ideas and tools from NatCap have been of great help to our team at CAS. I am also happy to say that we even contributed some innovations to the development of InVEST. NatCap has been a highly influential global partnership and has been extremely supportive and open in its relationship with us. We have become not only a professional collaboration, but a close group of friends. I am excited to continue our pioneering research with my NatCap colleagues.

Tell us about a key NatCap project you are working on right now.

Han (right) helping to lead an InVEST workshop in Shenzhen, China in November 2023. Credit: Tong Wu/NatCap)
Han (right) helping to lead an InVEST workshop in Shenzhen, China in November 2023. Credit: Tong Wu/NatCap)

I am currently involved in a project that assesses the mental health services of urban nature, working alongside a team of Stanford and CAS researchers. I have been helping with organizing field investigations and developing software tools. This work is especially important because people living in urban areas often face many pressures that can take a toll on their mental wellbeing. Having the opportunities for both fun and peace in urban greenspaces is a great way to relax, keep healthy, and bring nature into our everyday lives. This project has the potential for major impact, as China has the world’s largest urban population - reaching approximately one billion by 2030 - as well as some of the world’s biggest cities. Mainstreaming nature-based approaches in a place like Shenzhen, which is one of our principal case studies, could improve the mental wellbeing of millions of people.

What motivates you to do this work?

I want to preserve more nature in the city for my child, and I enjoy seeing and experiencing a great diversity of species. Humans can always learn from nature, and we have a duty to protect it and thrive alongside it.

Lastly, what do you like to do in your spare time?

I like to re-visit those beautiful places in nature with my family. It’s a lot of fun, but it also connects with my work in a really meaningful way.

The Natural Capital Project is a partnership based out of Stanford University, with core partners at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm Resilience Center, the University of Minnesota, The Nature Conservancy, and WWF.

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