Natura 2000 protected land area (i69)

In 2021, 12.7% of the Belgian land surface was a Natura 2000 protected area. To achieve the sustainable development goal by 2030, this figure must increase. Between 2010 and 2021, the trend is favourable (assessment of November 2022).

The chart will appear within this DIV.
The chart will appear within this DIV.

Natura 2000 protected land area - Belgium and international comparison

percentage of total land surface

 201120152016202020212021//20112021//2016
Belgium11.412.712.712.712.71.10.0
EU2712.818.618.618.518.63.80.0
//: Average Growth Rates

EEA (2022), Natura 2000 barometer statistics, http://www.eea.europa.eu/ (consulted on 8/7/2022); calculations FPB.

Natura 2000 protected land area by region - Belgium

percentage of total land surface

 1996200020082015202020212021//19962021//20082021//20152021//2017
Brussels-Capital Region--------14.414.4------0.2
Flemish Region9.79.712.312.312.212.20.9-0.1-0.1--
Walloon Region----13.1--13.213.1--0.0----
//: Average Growth Rates

INBO (2022), Oppervlakte Natura 2000-gebied, https://www.vlaanderen.be/inbo/indicatoren/oppervlakte-natura-2000-gebied (consulté le 26/10/2022); IBSA (2022), Direct communication 26/10/2022; SPW (2022), Direct communication 26/10/2022.

Definition: this indicator represents the share of the Natura 2000 protected land area (under the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC - Official Journal of the European Union, 22/7/1992 - and/or the Birds Directive 79/409/EEC - Official Journal of the European Union, 25/4/1979) in the total area of the Belgian territory. The Belgian and European data come from the European Environment Agency. The regional data come from the Institut bruxellois de statistique et d'analyse, the Instituut natuur-en bosonderzoek and the Service public de Wallonie.

It should also be noted that the Natura 2000 sites are only a fraction of the protected areas in Belgium. An indicator on the share of the protected sites "through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well-connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures" (CBD, 2010) was calculated for the first time in Belgium, but the continuous monitoring is not yet organised (FPS Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment, 2017).

Goal: Natura 2000 protected land area must increase.

The Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs adopted by the UN in 2015 include target 15.1: “By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements

The Federal Long-Term Strategic Vision for Sustainable Development contains objective 37: “The goods and services provided by ecosystems will be restored, valorised and used prudently and sustainably, contributing directly to the maintenance of biodiversity” (Belgian Official Gazette, 08/10/2013).

The Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity states that “by 2020, at least 17 per cent of terrestrial and inland waterways (...) are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well-connected systems of protected areas (CBD, 2010).

The Conference of the Parties of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity of December 2022 has adopted new goals. These will be taken into account in the next evaluation.

International comparison: the share of the Natura 2000 protected land area in Belgium is below the EU27 average. In 2021, only three countries performances are worse than Belgium (Denmark, Latvia and Finland). In that year, Cyprus ranked first with 39.3% and Denmark last with 8.3%.

UN indicator: the selected indicator is related to indicator 15.1.2 - Proportion of important sites for terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity that are covered by protected areas, by ecosystem type. The indicator represents a part of the protected area in Belgium, in the absence of a specific indicator on the protection of important areas for biological diversity.

Sources

More information is available in French and Dutch.