Introduction to the objective and design of the Nature Data Compendium
Objective
The Nature Compendium contains facts and figures about developments in species, taxonomic groups, ecosystems and landscape, as well as information about the use and perception of nature, the involvement of society and the nature policy. This information constitutes the basis for the appraisal of the condition of nature and of the effectiveness of the policy. The Nature Compendium does not include any policy conclusions; these can be found in the Nature Balance of the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. Nor does the Nature Compendium include in-depth analyses of the figures.
Basic structure
The concept of nature is used in the broad sense here. It is used to refer to plants and animals inside and outside nature reserves and also to landscape values. Furthermore, it is used to refer to the intrinsic value of nature and to the functions of nature for humans. These social functions vary from intangible functions (relaxation, health), cyclical functions (soil and wastewater treatment, climate regulation) to tangible functions (business accommodation factors, tourism, timber, fish and meat production).
The inner ring of the structure contains the factors that have a direct effect on nature, such as spatial planning, environmental and water conditions, and management. The second ring contains social functions that affect the factors in the first ring. In the third ring, we find the factors that operate at the national, European or global level and that affect the functions in the second ring.
The information presented in the Nature Compendium focuses primarily on nature itself and on the relationships between nature and the factors in the inner ring. The Environmental Data Compendium provides information about the second and third rings.
Consistency with Nature Balance and Environmental Data Compendium
The contents of the Nature Compendium match up with the Nature Balance and the Environmental Data Compendium. In other words, the information is consistent. Furthermore, a large proportion of the indicators in the Nature Balance can also be found in the Nature Compendium. There is much more room in the Nature Compendium for technical discussions, justification and source references for the information than in the Nature Balance. This means that the Nature Compendium can also be seen as the document in which the quality of the data in the Nature Balance becomes clear.
Target readership
The Nature Compendium is intended for policy officers in government departments, provincial authorities and municipal authorities, and also for water boards, managers of natural areas, lobby groups active in the field of nature, the environment and landscape, the scientific community, professional specialists and students in further education. It is particularly useful for readers who are interested in the reasoning and information underlying the Nature Balance and other products of the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency.
Aim
The Nature Compendium consists of a collection of indicators or key figures. The indicators describe relevant developments or situations in quantitative terms, in the form of a graph, table or map. In a few cases, the indicators consist of text only. Many indicators are time series. All the indicators include notes and source references. In time, it is hoped that all the indicators taken together will provide a balanced picture of the main developments in nature and nature policy. In addition, the aim is to update the indicators regularly and to arrive at a more or less fixed set of key figures.
Design
The Nature Compendium consists of six sections:
At the start of each chapter, an introduction provides a concise description of the main developments, with references to the indicators.
References
- RIVM (2001). Nature Balance 2001. Kluwer, Alphen aan den Rijn.
- CBS and RIVM (2001). Environmental Data Compendium 2001. Kluwer, Alphen aan den Rijn.
