Recent Study: Enjoying Biodiversity And Birds Singing Can Increase Happiness

Illustration of enjoying biodiversity (Unsplash / Andriyko Podilnyk)

JAKARTA - A study has found that the higher the income, the higher the level of one's welfare. But as it turns out, there are other things that can be happy and equal in nature to material income.

Research conducted in Europe found that biodiversity, especially birds, can increase life satisfaction as well as income. During a pandemic that occurs globally throughout the world, without exception, nature becomes a place of escape from quarantine and social distancing.

This research was conducted by Joel Methorst, a researcher at the Senckenderg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center. Reporting from The Hill, Monday, March 29, Methorst found that Europeans feel satisfied with their lives if the surrounding environment has a diversity of species.

"According to our findings, the happiest Europeans are those who can see different bird species in their daily life or who live in almost natural environments that are home to many species," said Methorst.

A series of previous studies have also shown that spending time in nature and with animals can help a person relax. Even hanging out with nature and pets can reduce physical and mental stress.

This latest study analyzed data from the 2012 European Quality of Life Survey involving 26,000 adults from 26 European countries. The study found that for every 10 percent increase in the number of bird species in their environment, their life satisfaction increased by 10 percent.

“We also checked the socio-economic data of the people we surveyed. And to our great surprise, we found that the diversity of birds was just as important to their life satisfaction as their income, ”added Katrin Böhning-Gaese, director of the Senckenderg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center.

Methorst revealed the conclusion that the decline in biodiversity resulted in a decrease in the level of community welfare.

"Therefore, nature conservation not only guarantees the material basis of our life, but also an investment for the welfare of all of us," said Methorst.