“What is the current state of Dutch nature?”
Caspar Verwer, Senior Expert Nature Conservation at the International Union for Conservation of Nature: “What is the current state of Dutch nature? There is plenty of data available on this. With the National Dashboard for Biodiversity we bring all that data together.”
At a glance
“This dashboard enables citizens, policymakers, politicians and businesses to see the current situation at a glance. For example, in terms of water quality or nitrogen deposition, but also how bees and other pollinators are getting on. It took intensive preparation to process the data and subdivide it into fourteen goals for nature.”
“We involved universities, research institutions and civil society organizations in this. Ensuring that when we launched the Dashboard in 2024, the overview it provided wasn’t just clear but also broadly endorsed.”
Red colors
“The Dashboard is currently showing orange and red colors: the challenges we face are huge. Two sections are still colored grey due to a lack of data. Despite this, ‘abolishing harmful subsidies’ and ‘investing in nature’ have still been included, as they play an essential role in improving nature.”
“Earlier efforts, such as creating more space for rivers, not only achieved better flood protection but also led to significant gains for nature. So progress can be made, where there is the will to take action. If we can achieve this then we can slowly turn the Dashboard green.”