NNN_Betekenis waterwinsector voor natuur (BO-11-019.01-005)

Water companies are important partners in the realization of nature. The water supplying industry manages about 23,000 hectares and is the 4th nature managing organization in The Netherlands. This role also entails responsibilities. The water supplying sector takes this responsibility more and more. In a natural environment the drinking water sources are better protected against contamination and less cleaning effort is required to make drinking water.

In the National Nature Vision (2014) the role of water companies as environmental stakeholders is regularly referred to. To search for details of these Nature Vision, during a so called Green Roundtable Water and Nature (April 2014) it was agreed to strengthen the cooperation between governments, water companies and civil society organizations. In 2004 a study of the significance of the Water Sector for nature in the Netherlands was done. During the Green Roundtable EZ promised to make an update of this study. Part of this update is an analysis of the spatial overlap of catchment areas and nature reserves. The update and analysis are input for the concrete implementation of the National Nature Vision in 2015.