Netherlands’ main

concerns and
issues
Climate change
The climte is changing, not only in
Netherlands, but also worldwide. It
affects many areas, such as
agriculture, the spread of
pathogens, the supply of drinking
water and flood protection. Over
the past century, the average
temperature has risen, the amount
and intensity of precipitation have
increased and extremely hot
weather has become more
frequent.
The temperature rise
The average temperature, for example, has
increased by 1.7 °C during the last century,
and the annual number of summery days
increased by nearly 20.
How much people are
really concerned?
To what extent are you worried about
climate change and the effects of that on the
environment? This question was asked dutch
citizens.
Who manages the
whole situation?
RIVM, which is Netherland’s National
Institute for public health, studies the effects
of climate change on public health, infectious
deseases and the environment.
Loss of farmland bird
populations
Changes in agricultural
practices have caused the
number of breeding birds to
dwindle in agricultural areas
in the Netherlands. This
pattern is found across the
entire EU.
The "farmland bird indicator"
has declined by 30% since
1990. Twenty out of the 27
species have shown a
continuous decline since
1900-1930 while some
species including the
European goldfinch are more
common now than in the
early 20th century.
Over the course of the 20th century, birds of
farmyard and thicket have decreased in
number due to the disappearance of hedges,
hedge rows and bushes from farmland. This
was partly the result of the agricultural land
exchange ('ruilverkaveling') that was
introduced after World War II.
What’s the cause?
Developments in farmland bird populations
are closely related to those in farming
practices. The increasing use of chemical
fertilisers in the early 20th century benefited
species including the northern lapwing and
the black-tailed godwit as they could avail of
more food such as earthworms and other
animals living underground in grassland
areas.
Increasing loss of
biodiversity
The accelerating rate of biodiversity decline
is unbelievable. Together with global
warming this is one of the major threats to
mankind. Drastic measures are necessary to
prevent the extinction of 500,000 to
1,000,000 plant- and animal species in the
coming decades.
The total Dutch biodiversity footprint
increased by 11 percent between 1990 and
2000 and has decreased since. In 2010 the
footprint was still 5 percent higher than in
1990.