Summary of my talks
EXPERIENCES FROM HOLLAND AND GREEN NETWORKS
Hans Kampf
Sustainable Ecological Networks
SUMMARY
The Dutch recognised both the social and political urgency of ending environmental degradation and loss and published its ‘Nature Policy Plan’ in 1990, which was revised in 2000 to ‘Nature for People, People for Nature’. Its main theme is the ‘Ecologische Hoofdstructuur’ (EHS) or ‘National Ecological Network. This is the main tool to achieve the policy’s aim of making ‘an essential contribution to a liveable and sustainable society through the conservation, restoration, development and sustainable use of nature and landscape’. The EHS is seen as a solution to ecosystem fragmentation and loss of environmental quality; ‘a spatially coherent network of existing and new natural areas’ of countryside and water bodies (including parts of the North Sea). By 2018, the aim is to have increased the area of countryside that is preserved, new or restored to 730,000 ha, an increase of 280,000 ha. Robust inter-connections will link natural areas that are being increased in size and improved in quality; this combination of actions will increase the carrying capacity and coherence of the natural areas.
The EHS is composed of:
• core areas of national or international value;
• ecological development areas (can include former farmland);
• management areas (land in private hands managed for nature conservation);
• inter-connecting areas (linear, continuous, stepping stones); and
• buffer zones.
This network is expected to provide the necessary means by which individual (many small fragments) habitats can increase in nature conservation value by becoming functionally larger. This will include the breaching of roads, railway lines and canals that form barriers for both flora and fauna. This increasing connectivity and improvement in the nature conservation value of natural areas should enable species to migrate and promote the genetic exchange required to maintain healthy populations. It may also allow species redistribution in the face of climate change. But, not all aspects of connectivity are positive; there are species that only survive because of their isolation and increasing connectivity also allows non-indigenous species to spread.
Nature for People, People for Nature though is more than just about the ‘reconnection of nature’ there are other issues that it is to address:
• ecosystem functions (e.g. production of clean water, CO2 absorption, sustainable use of natural resources);
• social values (e.g. rural, cultural, historical, archaeological and geological values,
• economics (sustainable recreation, agriculture, fisheries and transport);
• ‘green’ locations for living and working; and
• mental and physical well-being.
An example of the type of restoration work undertaken is that in the Renkum Brook Valley where the removal of an industrial area in the valley has allowed the Veluwe–Rhine corridor to return to an uninterrupted state. Another example is Oostvaardersplassen; a coastal area reclaimed from sea and zoned for industrial development in the late ‘60s, but found to be of significant nature conservation value and subsequently designated as a Ramsar site and Special Protection Area for Birds.
Developing Ecological Networks not only fulfils requirements under the EC Habitats and Birds Directives, but also international obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Berne, Bonne and Ramsar Conventions and OSPAR. For Holland this also means it is crucial to connect natural areas across its borders with Belgium and Germany including its marine boundaries.
Text edited by : Mrs Linda Yost, Deputy Executive Director, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (IEEM). Linda, thank you very much!
Hans Kampf
Sustainable Ecological Networks
SUMMARY
The Dutch recognised both the social and political urgency of ending environmental degradation and loss and published its ‘Nature Policy Plan’ in 1990, which was revised in 2000 to ‘Nature for People, People for Nature’. Its main theme is the ‘Ecologische Hoofdstructuur’ (EHS) or ‘National Ecological Network. This is the main tool to achieve the policy’s aim of making ‘an essential contribution to a liveable and sustainable society through the conservation, restoration, development and sustainable use of nature and landscape’. The EHS is seen as a solution to ecosystem fragmentation and loss of environmental quality; ‘a spatially coherent network of existing and new natural areas’ of countryside and water bodies (including parts of the North Sea). By 2018, the aim is to have increased the area of countryside that is preserved, new or restored to 730,000 ha, an increase of 280,000 ha. Robust inter-connections will link natural areas that are being increased in size and improved in quality; this combination of actions will increase the carrying capacity and coherence of the natural areas.
The EHS is composed of:
• core areas of national or international value;
• ecological development areas (can include former farmland);
• management areas (land in private hands managed for nature conservation);
• inter-connecting areas (linear, continuous, stepping stones); and
• buffer zones.
This network is expected to provide the necessary means by which individual (many small fragments) habitats can increase in nature conservation value by becoming functionally larger. This will include the breaching of roads, railway lines and canals that form barriers for both flora and fauna. This increasing connectivity and improvement in the nature conservation value of natural areas should enable species to migrate and promote the genetic exchange required to maintain healthy populations. It may also allow species redistribution in the face of climate change. But, not all aspects of connectivity are positive; there are species that only survive because of their isolation and increasing connectivity also allows non-indigenous species to spread.
Nature for People, People for Nature though is more than just about the ‘reconnection of nature’ there are other issues that it is to address:
• ecosystem functions (e.g. production of clean water, CO2 absorption, sustainable use of natural resources);
• social values (e.g. rural, cultural, historical, archaeological and geological values,
• economics (sustainable recreation, agriculture, fisheries and transport);
• ‘green’ locations for living and working; and
• mental and physical well-being.
An example of the type of restoration work undertaken is that in the Renkum Brook Valley where the removal of an industrial area in the valley has allowed the Veluwe–Rhine corridor to return to an uninterrupted state. Another example is Oostvaardersplassen; a coastal area reclaimed from sea and zoned for industrial development in the late ‘60s, but found to be of significant nature conservation value and subsequently designated as a Ramsar site and Special Protection Area for Birds.
Developing Ecological Networks not only fulfils requirements under the EC Habitats and Birds Directives, but also international obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Berne, Bonne and Ramsar Conventions and OSPAR. For Holland this also means it is crucial to connect natural areas across its borders with Belgium and Germany including its marine boundaries.
Text edited by : Mrs Linda Yost, Deputy Executive Director, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (IEEM). Linda, thank you very much!
My lecture in pictures
My lecture is a continuous development. It is depending on the questions of the organisers of a workshop of a seminar which topics are to be highlighted. The series of slides below gives an idea of the content of my talks.
An example of my talk about art. 10 of the Habitat Directive: http://www.bfn.de/fileadmin/MDB/documents/themen/natura2000/kampf_vilm.pdf
