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The Green Heart of the Netherlands

An overview

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• PBL is independent

• Part of the Ministry of Infrastructure

• We perform research for the EU, the Dutch government and (sometimes) local Dutch authorities

24 juni 2015 | PBL 'Het Groene Hart in Beeld'

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Soil degradation due to drainage causes subsidence

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Subsidence in the Green Heart has formed our characteristic Dutch ”polder landscape”

The Green Heart is not only a production area It is also a living- and working area

24 juni 2015 | PBL 'Het Groene Hart in Beeld'

Recreation to (and from) the Green Heart (2010 – 2013)

The number of people both grow and diminish. Overall the number of households has grown

Change of households

Change of inhabitants

Municipalities

Inhabitants

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The looks of our landscape has changed: the time of small scale agriculture

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The start of industrial agriculture in the 1970’s

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There has been a rapid growth of building sites in the period 1950 and 1990

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The modern landscape is in use as a multifunctional area

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The “ low lying country” causes a lot of problems

Differences in subsidence, projection 2050

24 juni 2015 | PBL 'Het Groene Hart in Beeld'

Sometimes a dike may collapse

24 juni 2015 | PBL 'Het Groene Hart in Beeld'

Inhabitants face problems in their neighborhood

24 juni 2015 | PBL 'Het Groene Hart in Beeld'

Subsidence is caused by intensive drainage for the benefit of farmers This causes extra costs in the rural area, which are mostly for account of local authorities

CO2 emission from peat equals emission from households in the green heart

Solutions? - Differentiate the use of the green heart: from park to agriculture

Unesco status for the unique landscape?

Structure of governance: Maybe more focused steering with a

master plan?

24 juni 2015 | PBL 'Het Groene Hart in Beeld'

: www.pbl.nl

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