Into Dutch Soils
This booklet provides an overview of 35 years of Dutch soil policy development, beginning with a description of how it all began: the geological and historical development of the Netherlands. It considers questions like: Why does a of the Dutch population live below sea level? And how have the activities of the Dutch over time affected the soil quality?
Soil legislation provides the legal framework for current land use in the Netherlands. Amongst many more, it defines liability and enables sustainable land management. It relates to a large number of other legislative fields, specifically with respect to other environmental compart-ments like groundwater, surface water and sediments. These matrices are only mentioned shortly in this booklet.
In addition, a large array of technical guidelines and approaches has been developed over the years. These instruments play a major role in daily practice. The key elements are introduced in this booklet.