Links

• download the publication (PDF, 17 MB)

The main causes of environmental problems in the Netherlands are the increasing mobility, growing spatial pressures, energy consumption and agricultural practices. Technical measures have reduced pressures on the environment on a number of fronts, despite economic growth, but this has not yet led to the restoration of collective goods such as a quiet nature and the landscape. If we are to prevent further erosion of nature and environmental quality, continued efforts will be needed to accommodate economic growth while still reducing environmental pressures.

Although the Environmental Balance is written primarily for the Dutch government, the thematic issues and analyses outlined make the Environmental Balance a book for all who want to know about the state of the environment in the Netherlands and the influence of policy. The book itself is in Dutch, but an English-language summary is available both in printed form (order per email: milieubalans@mnp.nl) and as a pdf file, which can be downloaded as shown below. 

• English-language summary of Environmental Balance 2004 

Past Environmental Balances available in English: 

• Environmental Balance 2003 (summary) in pdf 
• Environmental Balance 2002 (summary) in pdf   

Detailed information can be found in the Environmental Data Compendium for the Netherlands, a joint publication by RIVM and Statistics Netherlands (CBS). The 2001 version of Environmental data Compendium is available in English on Internet at http://www.environmentaldata.nl. The English-language version of the 2004 Compendium is in preparation.