Successful Biodiversity Monitoring in the Netherlands: The Network Ecological Monitoring (NEM)

In the Netherlands, a number of organizations co-operate to develop a state-of-the-art, low-cost system to monitor biodiversity trends. This combined effort has lead to the Network Ecological Monitoring (NEM). Core business of the NEM is to arrange ecological monitoring activities in such a way that with minimal efforts, a maximum of purposes can be served. Monitoring purposes range from local scale (nature development activities of provinces), via national scale (ecological quality in the National Ecological network) to international reporting (Natura 2000, RAMSAR and CBD Conventions). The NEM makes intensive use of citizen scientist observations, following standardized field protocols. The observation results are quality-checked thoroughly and processed statistically. The resulting data are used manifold, e.g. as indicators in the Environmental Data Compendium, underpinning in Environmental Balance Reports, for international reporting obligations, and in specific thematic assessments, e.g. of climate hange. An evaluation after 10 years showed that with minimal adaptations, almost all new monitoring demands from changing biodiversity policies, can be fulfilled. 1. Growing Needs for Biodiversity Data At the end of the 20th century, the need for good quality monitoring data on biodiversity became more and more urging. The number of national nature policy measures was rising, and obligations from international treaties put a growing burden on the authorities in The Netherlands to produce adequate monitoring data on biodiversity. The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, which had just extended its activities to evaluating Nature Policies, was also confronted by a lack of these data. Then, a number of institutions joined forces to organize and co-ordinate the ecological monitoring in the Netherlands. This resulted in the signing in 1997 of a covenant and the founding of the Network Ecological Monitoring (NEM). The partners in the NEM are: • The Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV; presidency) • Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (VROM) • Directorate General of Public Works and Water Management • The Provinces • Statistics Netherlands (CBS) • Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) 457 EnviroInfo 2010 (Cologne/Bonn) Integration of Environmental Information in Europe Copyright © Shaker Verlag 2010. ISBN: 978-3-8322-9458-8