Natura 2000 protected land area (i66)

In 2022, 12.7% of the Belgian land surface was a Natura 2000 protected area. To achieve the sustainable development goal, this figure must be at least 30% by 2030. This objective will not be reached by continuing the trend since 2011 (data available in November 2023). The Belgian land surface registered as Natura 2000 protected areas is therefore developing unfavourably.

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

Natura 2000 protected land area - Belgium - trend assessment

percentage of land surface

 2000201120152020202220252030
observations--11.412.712.712.7----
trend and extrapolation (November 2023)--12.212.512.812.812.912.9
objective30.030.030.030.030.030.030.0

EEA (2023), Natura 2000 barometer statistics, http://www.eea.europa.eu/ (consulted on28/3/2023); calculations FPB.

Natura 2000 protected land area - Belgium and international comparison

percentage of land surface

 2011201520172020202120222022//20112022//2017
Belgium11.412.712.712.712.712.71.00.0
EU2712.818.618.618.518.618.63.40.0
//: Average Growth Rates

EEA (2023), Natura 2000 barometer statistics, http://www.eea.europa.eu/ (consulted on28/3/2023); calculations FPB.

Natura 2000 protected land area by region - Belgium

percentage of land surface

 199620002008201520172019202020222022//19962022//20082022//20172022//2019
Brussels-Capital Region--------14.314.414.414.4----0.10.0
Flemish Region9.79.712.312.3--12.212.212.20.90.0--0.0
Walloon Region----13.1----13.213.213.1--0.0--0.0
//: Average Growth Rates

INBO (2023), Oppervlakte Natura 2000-gebied, https://www.vlaanderen.be/inbo/indicatoren/oppervlakte-natura-2000-gebied (consulté le 28/03/2023); IBSA (2023), Direct communication 28/03/2023; 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: a share of 30% of protected land area.

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 Conference of the Parties of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity of December 2022 has adopted new goals, among which "Ensure and enable that by 2030 at least 30 per cent of terrestrial, inland water, and of coastal and marine areas […] are effectively conserved and managed through ecologically representative, well-connected and equitably governed systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures" (target 10, CBD, 2022).

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).

International comparison: the share of the Natura 2000 protected land area in Belgium is below the EU27 average. In 2022, only three countries performances are worse than Belgium (Denmark, Latvia and Finland). In that year, Slovenia ranked first with 37.9% 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.