Schiphol: Interactive noise and safety atlas

Noise nuisance caused by air traffic, and the safety risks of Schiphol, have been the subject of occasionally heated public debate for years. How are these complex problems related? And how is the government trying to tackle them? An interactive atlas designed for the Internet allows everybody to understand the noise and risk policy for Schiphol. The explanations here are also helpful.

Playing with Schiphol

Users can select maps and superimpose them using the interactive atlas. This means that users can make maps of Schiphol and the surrounding area showing the runways, approach routes, housing and the noise and risk contours.

We have selected three current situations with an appropriate selection of maps (click on the title if you wish to go to the atlas). You can also proceed as you wish, for example by selecting other maps. It should be pointed out that the atlas provides two options for undoing operations. See the two buttons at the top left.

• 1. Noise around Schiphol - current situation and current policy
  This example shows the current noise situation around Schiphol. Which area has the highest noise exposure? What is the government's policy and are the various standards also being met? The example also gives an idea of the changes that have occurred between 1993 and 2001.
• 2. Noise around Schiphol - after the opening of the fifth runway
  During the course of 2003, the fifth runway will go into operation. From that time onwards, the policy will change and new standards will apply based on European standard noise units. What do these new standards mean and how should they be seen in relation to the current situation?
• 3. Safety around Schiphol
  This example shows the safety situation around Schiphol. Which area runs the highest risk and how high is that risk? What limits are set by the policy? And what has changed between 1997 and 2000?

The interactive atlas as experiment

The interactive atlas for Schiphol is one of the two atlas experiments in the Environmental Data Compendium. The second experiment is an atlas with various maps dating from 1970 onwards for urbanisation and the road network in the Netherlands.

The aim of these experiments is to acquire experience with this interactive way of supplying information. What possibilities does the technology afford? How do the readers see this service? Does the atlas work quickly enough? Are the functions clear or is more explanation required? Do you have any ideas for other applications? We would be glad to hear from you at milieucompendium@rivm.nl.

User responsible for own results

The atlas also provides more advanced functions for enthusiasts. They can, for example, set themselves the number of homes located within certain noise and risk contours. It should be emphasised that this could lead to discrepancies with the 'statutory' housing numbers as a result of the different types of housing and the counting method.
Users will of course be responsible for results based on their own analyses. The RIVM and Statistics Netherlands cannot be responsible for any results generated by users themselves.