'Hooray, another National Park added!' With this statement, the professional journal Nature & Landscape opens a debate in the July issue about the significance of new national parks in the Netherlands. Five experts provide their views on this statement.
David van Zelm van Eldik, manager of the National Parks Office, responds very positively. According to him, the official designation of Nationaal Park Hollandse Duinen is a prime example of a contemporary interpretation of a national park in our country. He emphasizes that national parks not only protect valuable nature but are also partnerships in which governments, land managers, entrepreneurs, and residents work together in a regional approach towards a sustainable landscape.
Socially Added Value
Van Zelm points out that nature development, recreation, water, agriculture, and livability should be viewed more holistically. It is precisely this connecting role that makes national parks relevant for the current major spatial challenges in rural areas. He acknowledges that international IUCN guidelines do not always align one-to-one with the Dutch situation, but that Dutch national parks do contribute to nature restoration and a strong landscape identity. He emphasizes that it is primarily about the quality of cooperation and the socially added value of national parks.
Read More
The full response of Van Zelm and the other four experts to the proposition can be read in the article from the trade journal Natuur en Landschap.