Land use is changing rapidly in many parts of the world, particularly in areas with a high population density, such as the Netherlands. The effects of these land use changes are becoming increasingly evident in spatial planning and water and environmental management.
Alterra produces and analyses several databases on changes in land use and land cover: the Historical Land Use Database of the Netherlands (HGN), the Land Use Database of the Netherlands (LGN) and the CORINE Land Cover Database (CLC). Using these datasets, researchers can map the spatial location of land cover and land use over time and the magnitude and types of changes across time horizons (spatial dynamics)
Application and impacts
- Halting loss of biodiversity (e.g., with the design of green corridors)
- Identifying opportunities for sustainable spatial development (e.g., related to spatial planning, urban growth, territorial diversity, CAP effectiveness, soil conservation and pesticide use)
- Tackling climate change
- Providing inputs for models (modelling soil, groundwater and surface water, ecology and landscape processes)
- Managing water (e.g., in relation to the Dutch ordinance on water levels in the country and federal policy on superfluous water)
Related information
HGN website (in Dutch)
LGN website
CLC website