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 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.
Thank you