Ecosystems and well-being – the impact of land use changes

About this publication

Natural capital is one of the four capital forms underpinning our current and future well-being. Natural capital is essential in that it is critical; once depleted, many forms of natural capital cannot be replaced or re-produced. This is the reason that the Dutch ecosystem accounts monitor natural capital and society’s reliance on it in great detail. The accounts are compliant with the international UN SEEA EA (System of environmental Economic accounts – ecosystem accounts) accounting system.
In this report, we assess the magnitude of land use changes between 2013 and 2020, and its potential impact on the delivery of ecosystem services. Land use changes are high on the Dutch political agenda, because space is coming under increasing pressure.