total: 41,532 sq km
land: 33,889 sq km
Coastline: 451 km
Population: 15,807,641 (July 1999 est.)
Source: CIA Worldfact Book (2000)
The Netherlands
Ministry
for Transport, Public Works and Water Management
(Source: CIA World Factbook 1999)
Many thanks to the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, the source of the following information. The information was taken from the Netherlands's submission to the 5th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (last update: 1 April 1997). For further information on the Netherlands's social and economic factors, natural resources, and institutional structures see the United Nations System-Wide Web Site on National Implementation of the Rio Commitments National Information for The Netherlands at:
http://www.un.org/esa/agenda21/natlinfo/countr/nether/index.htm
The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea was signed in 1982 and ratified in 1996.
The Netherlands has an integrated coastal area management programme and is in the process of establishing an EEZ.
The Netherlands has ratified the OSPAR Convention that includes precautionary measures for marine and coastal activities, e.g. environmental impact assessments.
National policy on oceans is part of the National Sustainable Development Strategy. The Ministry for Transport, Public Works and Water Management is responsible for integrated planning. Activities are being coordinated with other competent ministries, government bodies and NGOs.
Some economic incentives have been introduced: a charge
for pollution of surface waters, financial compensation for
inclination of the soil by natural gas extraction, and a
Green Award system where clean ships pay lower harbour
taxes. All activities under this
programme area are rated "very important". Protection of the
marine environment has been fully integrated into policies.
In 1993, the Coastal Management Centre of the Netherlands
was set up to assist coastal nations in making and
implementing integrated coastal zone management programmes.
Some gaps exist concerning surveillance and monitoring of
fisheries at sea.
Regarding pollution of the marine environment from land-based sources, specialised information is available in government institutes, and based on this information, Best Available Techniques are elaborated and discussed. All sewage related issues are rated "very important" as well, and have been fully covered.
The Netherlands participates in the development of socio-economic and environmental indicators, systematic observation systems, the mussel watch programme, clearing-houses and in the Global Ocean Observing System as well as in EuroGOOS, the European component of GOOS. In 1996 The Netherlands organized the First International Conference on EuroGOOS. The objectives were to identify the next steps in the provision of European operational oceanographic services to industry, to government agencies and to value added service companies, and to promote GOOS
There are several database systems for integrated coastal
management:
- DONAR (data management system concerning water information),
- MANS (Management System North Sea),
- NETCOAST (an open-access facility on Internet, aimed at anyone involved in coastal zone issues and management),
- COSMO (Coastal Zone Simulation Model).
These systems are rated "very good" and cover all necessary
information.
Since 1995, an international Quality Status Report of the North Sea has been established every 2 to 5 years, including a comprehensive assessment of the State of the Environment. In the year 2000 a QSR of the OSPAR Convention area will be established. Changes in the coastal and marine environment can be determined.
The Netherlands develops capacity-building and training programmes.
The private sector and small-scale artisanal fishermen have advisory status at the national level. At the local level, "major groups" are ad-hoc participants in decision-making.
Under the programme area "sustainable development of small islands," a total financial assistance of US$190,456 was given to Jamaica, Haiti, Cape Verde, Madagascar and the Seychelles on a bilateral basis. Through multilateral assistance US$1.45 million have been provided to Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Barbados, especially for education projects.
At the international level, the Netherlands is a member of the Trilateral Waddenzee Cooperation, the International Conference on the Protection of the North Sea, the OSPAR Commission, the Rhine Commission, the Bonner Agreement, Port State Control, the London Convention 1972, IMO, the Oil Prepared Response Cooperation, and EU activities. No problems have arisen in implementing international conventions. In 1997, an Intermediate North Sea Ministers Conference will be held to discuss concerns related to fish stocks in the North Sea. Voluntary implementation of the FAO Code of Conduct of Responsible Fishing will take place under the responsibility of the EU in cooperation with the parties concerned.
Within the IPCC working group on coastal zones, the Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Centre of the Netherlands initiated the "Common Vulnerability Assessment" and assisted 8 countries in assessing their vulnerability to climate change. At the World Coast Conference 1993, organized by The Netherlands as a response to the call for Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Agenda 21, participants from 100 coastal nations, 20 international organizations and 23 non-governmental organizations in consensus agreed on strengthening national and international responses for building ICZM capabilities. For the Conference, 46 country and regional assessment case studies were collected. The CZM Centre constitutes the follow-up of the conference.
The development of a Regional Marine Pollution Emergency
Information and Training Centre (REMPEITC) in Curaçao
is being supported in cooperation with IMO and the US Coast
Guard.
Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR)
Integrated Coastal Zone Management in the European Union
Coastal Zone Management Centre
n.a.