Abstract: Background/question/methods The COVID-19 pandemic was the most shocking global tragedy that humankind had to face since the Second World War. The dramatic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic pushed to identify what elements of our societies played a concrete role in coping with COVID-19. Forests and green areas, in particular, proved crucial allies in the struggle against the coronavirus. During the periods of severe lockdown, the number of visitors to urban parks, overall, increased because public green spaces provided the only moments of freedom during which exercising and socializing were allowed. The rediscovery of green areas as propelling centers of public health can be considered as one of the positive legacies of COVID-19, but there is a warning: measures are needed to make these healthy habits lasting in the people. This study carried out a meta-analysis by analyzing the scientific literature dealing with COVID-19 and green areas such as wild forests and city parks. Specifically, this study searched for the existing literature included in Scopus, considered as one of the largest international bibliographic databases of academic journal articles. The target articles included the main issues linking coronavirus pandemic to forested areas, such as psychological effects, social distancing, socio-economic impact, environmental justice, culturale rediscovery, and ecosystem services.
Results/conclusions Socio-economic and demographic factors can influence the relationship between people and green areas. Vulnerable city residents, who showed less access to green spaces, include elderly people, children, ethnic minorities and people with lower income and education, and poor mental and physical health. Facing socio-economic issues and making our cities more inclusive will inevitably make human communities more prepared to any disaster, not necessarily health-related. The pandemic showed also the unexpected important role of suburban forests in supporting people's use of green areas. Suburban forests proved thus critical infrastructures whose protection and interconnection with cities should be a priority in urban policies. The pandemic stimulated illegal deforestation as well, especially in those countries with greater economic instability. Forests, however, can be the socio-economic vaccines for a post-COVID green recovery that can generate millions of jobs worldwide, provided that the global political agenda includes the sustainable use of forested lands. The greatest lesson of the COVID-19 pandemic is what we have always known: equity is the guiding principle for a more resilient world.
