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Growing mismatches of supply and demand of ecosystem services in the Netherlands.

Bart de Knegt,Marjolein E. Lof,Solen le Clec'h,Rob Alkemade

Published 2024 in Journal of Environmental Management

ABSTRACT

A sufficient supply of goods and services from ecosystems is vital to ensure human well-being. This study evaluates whether the demand for goods and services within the Netherlands is met by Dutch ecosystems, could otherwise be provided through technology and/or by imports, or remains (partially) unmet. Additionally, this study shows the dynamics of supply and demand of these services over time. The results reveal that no ecosystem service supply is fully meeting the total demand provided by Dutch ecosystems. Additionally, for the majority of the services (10 out of 17), the gap between supply and demand widened over the last two decades, indicating a growing mismatch. Imports and technology only partly close the gap between supply and demand. The growing mismatch between supply and demand is expected to lead to increasing negative impacts on human well-being, such as poor air and water quality, heat stress in urban areas, increasing flood risks, limiting opportunities for outdoor recreation and loss of biodiversity. Our findings show that current policy goals to maintain and restore ecosystem services are not on track in the Netherlands. Urgent action is necessary to enhance the sustainable utilization of natural resources and to optimize the balance between supply and demand. Priority should be given to goods and services facing unmet demand where imports or technological solutions are not feasible, particularly those where the gap between supply and demand is widening.

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