Nature protection and biodiversity - Why care? (Belgium)

Biodiversity in Belgium is under tremendous pressure as a result of human activities. This pressure is especially high to the north of the Sambre and Meuse rivers, where the human population density is exceptionally high. Besides eutrophication, acidification, climate change and invasive alien species, land conversion¹ poses a big threat to biodiversity. Construction and densification of the transport infrastructure are the main drivers behind the increased fragmentation of the natural spaces. Due to this fragmentation, species that are unable to adapt to climate change are also incapable of moving to a more suitable habitat through natural dispersion. It is feared that as individual species start disappearing, the quality of larger parts of the ecosystem will decline. This could have impacts on human health and well-being and the agricultural productivity of rural areas in Belgium, even though considerable uncertainties on the topic remain.