Magazin - Ausgabe 03/2000
ISSN 1439-9954

About Nature Policy, Large Ecosystems
in a Small and Crowded Country
and the Role Large Herbivores can Play:
Challenges For Future!

von H. Kampf, Wageningen / Niederlande

 

2. Progress in the realisation of the national ecological network

The new nature policy has existed for 10 of its anticipated 30 years. The recently published nature policy plan, NBL21, looks both back and forwards, at how far we have come and what we still have to do. This is all illustrated below:

  • the existing National Ecological Network and its planned extension
  • new or intensified policy for:
    • areas within the National Ecological Network
    • nature and forests in rural areas outside the National Ecological Network (rural nature)
    • nature and forests outside the National Ecological Network in or near cities (urban nature)

EXISTING NATIONAL ECOLOGICAL NETWORK AND PLANNED EXTENSION

 

Present size

Yet to be realised

Existing forest and other nature areas (acquisition)

453,500 ha

21,800 ha

Current policy for extension with change of function

151,500 ha

104,510 ha

Current policy for extension without change of function

90,000 ha

51,090 ha

Subtotal under current policy

695,000 ha

177,400 ha

NEW POLICY

Expansion with change of function (Ecologically Robust Corridors )

37,000 ha

37,000 ha

Other ecological links (financed by third parties)

12,500 ha

12,500 ha

TOTAL ECOLOGICAL NETWORK

74, 500 ha

226,900 ha

NATURE AND FORESTS OUTSIDE THE NATIONAL ECOLOGICAL NETWORK
(RURAL NATURE)

 

Present size

Yet to be realised

Existing forests and other nature areas

96,500 ha

0 ha

Current nature development policy without change of function (agricultural nature management)

15,000 ha

8,260 ha

Current policy for wintering and meadow birds

30,000 ha

8,000 ha

Current policy for expansion of forest and landscape

38,400 ha

33,050 ha

Subtotal under current policy

179,900 ha

49,310 ha

NEW POLICY

Provide incentive to improve landscape quality (NBL21)

40,000 ha

40,000 ha

TOTAL RURAL NATURE

219,900 ha

89,310 ha

NEW POLICY FOR AREAS OUTSIDE THE NATIONAL ECOLOGICAL NETWORK (URBAN NATURE)

 

Present size

Yet to be realised

Green areas in the Randstad conurbation

18,685 ha

12,885 ha

Green corridors in the Randstad conurbation

450 km

440 km

Green areas outside the Randstad conurbation

3,000 ha

2,320 ha

Subtotal current policy

21,685 ha

15,205 ha

NEW POLICY

Provide incentive to improve urban landscape

10,000 ha

10,000 ha

TOTAL URBAN NATURE

31,685 ha

25,205 ha

TOTAL DUTCH NATURE IN 2020 INCL. FOREST AND LANDSCAPE

996,000 ha

341,000 ha