Atlas Natural Capital

Director

Sept. 19, 2015

The Dutch online Natural Capital Atlas offers hundreds of maps that portray ecosystem services in the Netherlands. The Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, initiator of the Atlas, wants to develop the website with users further. We guided a consultation process with municipalities and companies to identify their needs and wishes. Results list implementable recommendations for accessibility, categorization, expanded data needs, interactivity, and functionality.

Citizens, companies, and governments will increasingly start working on nature-based solutions over the coming year. This situation will require open access to data and a symbiotically developed vision of nature and the economy. That offers a perfect breeding ground for the Natural Capital Atlas.

Download the report (in Dutch) with our findings at the bottom of the page.

Results

Our research showed that both municipalities and companies see potential value in the Atlas during their daily operational processes and project preparation and execution. Cities expect Atlas to contribute to their relationship with citizens, companies, and community groups. Companies see potential value in reducing the impacts of their production processes and at a later stage in supporting Natural Capital Accounting.

An indispensable tool

This stage is just the beginning. With an ecosystem approach, Atlas can stimulate the development of natural capital as a movement in the Netherlands while simultaneously offering data to incorporate natural capital in decision-making processes. We developed a road map to ensure the tool's maturation into a self-directing, self-learning, and interactive platform.

We firmly believe that the Natural Capital Atlas can grow into an indispensable tool for every professional working with natural capital.