The aim of Dutch nature policy is to stop the decline of the remaining wildlife habitats in the Netherlands and to reverse the trend by improving environmental conditions, acquiring land, developing nature reserves and implementing management measures.

 

Characteristic landscape (photo: Roel Hoeve)

For many years, the wildlife habitats in the Netherlands have declined severely in terms of both size and quality. The current size of terrestrial populations of native plant and animal species has declined to only 10-15% of the populations that would have existed in an undisturbed, optimal situation. However, the wildlife habitats that remain in the Netherlands are valuable from an international perspective due to their unique character.

Trends in the development of habitats and landscape in the Netherlands

The table below summarises the current situation regarding the realisation of nature and landscape policy targets. The first column indicates the trend during the past 15 years. The second column evaluates the developments during the past five years. The third column estimates the probability of achieving the policy targets on time. Generally speaking, after a promising start in the 1990s, the rate with which policy is realised has declined. As a result, the progress over the entire spectrum will probably not be sufficient to achieve the government policy targets for habitats, landscape and nature for people.

Between 1990 and 2006, the area of nature reserves has increased, and the environmental conditions and spatial coherence have improved. However, during the past five years this beneficial development has either slowed or has stopped entirely. This means that without supplementary measures, most of the established aims concerning wildlife habitats will not be achieved in a timely fashion. It is unlikely that the National Ecological Network will be completed in the year 2018 as planned. It is possible to increase the rate at which new parts of the National Ecological Network are realised, but this requires, among other things, that a higher priority be given to the development of newly acquired land.

A background report has been published about the evaluation of nature and landscape policy (to the report). The main conclusions about realising the targets are the following:

• the area of nature reserves is increasing, but more slowly. Read more
• the quality of the habitats is lagging behind. Read more
• the environmental pressure is too high to achieve good quality habitats. Read more
• nature policy can be more effective. Read more
• the conservation of core qualities of landscapes is not realistic. Read more
• declining biodiversity will not stop by 2010. Read more

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