Guide to 'Environmental quality' section
The indicator in the environmental quality section sketches a picture of the condition of the environment in the Netherlands. Environmental quality includes:
- concentrations of substances in soil, water and air;
- the burden on the living environment of noise, odour and radiation;
- the probability of an accident caused by aviation and the production, use, storage and the transportation of dangerous substances;
- the availability of water for nature.
Index Environmental quality
- Guide to 'Global air quality' section
Climate change as a result of the greenhouse effect and the depletion of the ozone layer are problems with a global dimension. Humans have an effect on the climate through the emission of substances such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). CFCs and halons are the main substances affecting the ozone layer. - Guide to 'National air quality' section
Good air quality at ground level is important for people and for ecosystems. On the basis of current standards, there are problems with air quality in the Netherlands with respect to the substances ozone, particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide. - Guide to 'Quality of surface water' section
Emissions of heavy metals, eutrophying substances and pesticides, as well as the presence of bacteria in surface water, constitute a threat to water quality. Good water quality is important both for the sustainability of ecosystems and for human use. Examples of the latter are the production of tap water, fishing and recreation. - Guide to 'Soil quality' section
Increased levels of metals, PAHs, pesticides and phosphate in the soil involve risks for public health, plants and animals. This means that soil pollution reduces the range of possible uses and has implications for the extraction of drinking water and biodiversity. As a result, the development of housing, industrial estates, and agriculture and horticulture stagnates. - Guide to 'Groundwater quality' section
Groundwater quality comes under particular pressure as a result of emissions of nitrate and phosphate, heavy metals and pesticides. The deterioration of groundwater quality constitutes a threat to the use of groundwater as a source of drinking water and can impact on ecosystems. - Guide to 'Desiccation' section
The Netherlands has got a lot drier in the last 50 years. This is the case despite the floods and near-floods in the area of the large rivers a few years ago, the occasionally excessive rainfall and the resulting regular flooding of the Westland area. The reduced availability of water, in particular as a result of the falling water table, has major implications for moisture-loving plants in the Netherlands. - Guide to 'Human living environment' section
The quality of the living environment includes the burden on the population from noise, odour and radiation, the probability of an accident (external safety) and the presence of green areas close to residential locations.
Location of environmental quality in the environmental chain
Discussion of the environmental chain
Environmental quality is an indicator of the condition of the environment. This condition is affected by, for example, emissions to soil, water and air (environmental pressure), by the extraction of water and the exploitation of other resources, as well as by the position and extent of high-risk activities such as aviation, LPG stations and firework factories (societal developments). Changes in environmental quality can result in damage to nature and human health (impact).
