News nature
Van der Wal study: 700.000 hectares of nature added
In order to achieve Natura 2000 targets in the Netherlands, it is necessary to add a total of 702.000 hectares of nature in the Netherlands. This may be partly agricultural nature. The target for 2030 is to realize 30% of the total.
This is in one quickscan from Wageningen Economic Research and the Sovon agency from Nijmegen. The scan was made during a two-day joint work session in response to an urgent request from Minister for Nature and Nitrogen Christianne van der Wal.
The scan was submitted on September 30, but was not sent to the House of Representatives on November 25, when the development document for the National Program Rural Area (NPLG) was presented. At that time, the House was only informed about the required task until 2030. According to Van der Wal, this was done to prevent a fixation on hectares. She wanted to 'avoid the risk that the hectares a
take on a life of their own,” she writes. Moreover, publishing the total size could now hinder quick steps. "By choosing a target of 30%, the steps up to 2030 can be seen in the NPLG as no regret', writes the minister. These goals have already been achieved.
She mentions that the cabinet has reacted critically to objectives in previous documents, but does not distance itself from the quick scan.
Van der Wal was forced to send the study to the House after all because it had been hinted at in a column by Martin Sommer in de Volkskrant and questions arose from the House of Representatives.
According to a further response from the ministry, Van der Wal does not necessarily accept the outcome of the study. The minister: "Officially, Wageningen Environmental Research and SOVON Vogelonderzoek Nederland have been asked to make a quick scan of the required surface area of nature for the Natura 2000 objectives with a completely good conservation status. This analysis was for internal use and gives a first indication. for a step of 30% towards recovery. I have shared this official document, which had not yet been decided upon, at the request of the House. The figure that is now being extracted from it goes far beyond the goal of this cabinet. The cabinet It's a shame that this is causing unrest."
Klaas van der Horst
© DCA Market Intelligence. This market information is subject to copyright. It is not permitted to reproduce, distribute, disseminate or make the content available to third parties for compensation, in any form, without the express written permission of DCA Market Intelligence.