Nature’s contribution to Dutch economy hits €15 billion
The economic use value of ecosystem services in the Netherlands reached more than 15 billion euros in 2022, marking a 50 percent increase since 2013. This growth is primarily driven by rising demand for cultural ecosystem services, including tourism and recreation in natural areas. The financial benefits of ecosystem services far exceed the expenditures on nature management, according to the latest figures from the Natural Capital Accounts, developed by CBS in collaboration with Wageningen University & Research (WUR).
Ecosystem services encompass the benefits provided by nature, such as timber and food production, urban cooling, and access to green spaces for relaxation. The use value of these services represents only one aspect of nature’s total value, measuring direct economic benefits without assessing the sustainability of usage or the ecological condition of ecosystems.
The Natural Capital Accounts provide insight into both the economic contributions of ecosystem services and the current physical state of ecosystems in terms of area and quality. Data from CBS show that the use value of ecosystem services has grown across all categories, though cultural services have seen the most significant increase.
In 2022, the value of cultural ecosystem services was 60 percent higher than in 2013. The value of provisioning and regulating ecosystem services also increased but at a slower rate. Provisioning services include contributions to food and timber supply, while regulating services involve carbon storage, pollination, and coastal protection by dunes.
A significant portion of this increase (38 percent) was due to higher prices for ecosystem services, such as increased spending per nature-based recreational activity and rising agricultural land lease prices. Additionally, a 12 percent rise in demand for ecosystem services, including recreational visits and the desirability of green residential areas, contributed to the overall growth.
In 2021, the economic use value of nature surged, largely due to increased outdoor activity during COVID-19 restrictions.
Among various ecosystem types, forests contributed the most to economic benefits, with an estimated 4.7 billion euros in 2022. Grasslands followed with 3 billion euros, while arable land, horticultural areas, dunes, and coastal regions each accounted for approximately 1.6 billion euros.
Forests provide multiple ecosystem services, including recreation, nature-based tourism, and carbon sequestration. Their relatively large total area also contributes to their high overall value. Dunes and coastal regions play a crucial role in coastal protection and nature-based recreation, leading to a high value per hectare despite their smaller total area.
Urban green spaces, such as parks and public gardens, provide recreation opportunities, improve living environments, and help cool cities during heatwaves. Despite their relatively small land area, these areas contributed 1.1 billion euros in economic benefits.
The costs of nature management in the Netherlands totaled 1.6 billion euros in 2022. This includes government and private expenditures on maintaining nature reserves, land purchases for new natural areas, and farmers’ investments in biodiversity conservation.
