Soil subsidence

The soil in the Dutch peatlands is falling and so is our area. And that is worrisome. Soil subsidence causes damage to buildings, roads and agricultural land. It leads to more complicated water systems (especially where there are buildings), disappearance of peat and chances of brackish seepage. This is bad for the climate, water quality, sustainable agriculture and the characteristic peat landscape and nature. And as peatland subsides, large amounts of CO2 and greenhouse gases are released. Soil subsidence is a problem for the whole of society and we are tackling it together.

What do we do?

The problems in the water management of the peat meadow area are currently manageable. Our estimation is that in time the sustainability and manageability will come under pressure. We have visualized this in a 'fact report' (see the download at the bottom of this page). To stay ahead of future problems, we are working together with other parties. We are doing this mainly by putting the issue on the Map at provincial and national level, sharing knowledge and contributing to research into measures to slow or even stop subsidence.

Research

In the Innovation Program Peat (IPV), agricultural nature association Water, Land & Dijken and nature management organization Landschap Noord-Holland are investigating whether you can counter subsidence in the peat meadow area with wet forms of agriculture. The research is taking place in Nauerna with the cultivation of wet crops and level-controlled drainage. The IPV is investigating which adjustments to water management are needed, the effects of this form of agriculture on subsidence, greenhouse gas emissions, water quality, nature and the landscape.

We are members of the Peatland Innovation Center, an organization that researches innovations to slow or stop subsidence.

At STOWA's National Subsidence Knowledge Program we share and develop knowledge around subsidence.

Putting problems on the Map

We bring the issue of subsidence to provincial and national attention so that addressing the problem becomes part of policy. At the provincial level, we are doing this together with the province of North Holland and two other water boards in the Taskforce Soil Subsidence. At the national level, we are bringing the issue to the attention of the Union of Water Boards and lobbying the national government on it. We also do this in the national Platform Slack Soil. We are also sitting on the climate table to discuss reducing CO2 emissions caused by the subsidence of peat soils.

Facts and figures

• The peat soil is located in Low Holland: the area north of Amsterdam to the line Alkmaar-Hoorn
• There are about 20,000 hectares of peatland; that is about 9% of Hollands Noorderkwartier
• The peat soil in our area is declining between 2 mm and 4 mm per year. The national average is a decline of 10 mm per year.
• This releases between 6 tons and 12 tons of CO2 per hectare per year. That's more than between 110,00 tons and 220,000 tons of CO2 in our entire area. That is between 3% and 6% of the national CO2 amount released from the peat.