Province of North Brabant, Natuurmonumenten, and Coca-Cola are joining forces to tackle the drought in the Natura 2000 area De Plateaux. The plants and animals in the nature reserve are suffering greatly from this drought. Therefore, the province is granting a subsidy of €946,371 to Natuurmonumenten for the restoration of a dilapidated sluice and supply canal. This is necessary to restore groundwater flows towards De Plateaux. This contributes to the recovery of nitrogen- and drought-sensitive habitat types such as moist heath, weakly buffered fens, and glanshaver and vossenstaarthooiland. Natuurmonumenten is responsible for the management and maintenance of the restored sluice complex.
Working Across the Border on Restoring Brabant Nature
The area De Plateaux, part of the European protected nature reserve Leenderbos, Groote Heide & De Plateaux, is located in North Brabant near the Belgian border. De Plateaux is a partially wooded heathland area with flow meadows against the Belgian border. The quality of nature in this area is negatively affected mainly by drought, (ground)water of insufficient quality, and persistent nitrogen deposition in the nature reserve.
An important contribution to the solution has now been found in the restoration of the (water) distribution works t Saske just across the border in Belgium. Part of this measure also includes cleaning the associated supply canal located in Belgium. In short, work is also being done in Belgium on Brabants nature restoration.
Deputy Hagar Roijackers (Nature, Environment, and Rural Area Approach): “Granting this subsidy is important to achieve the nature restoration goals for the area De Plateaux. This area depends on water supplied through the sluice complex and supply canal. This is not possible without a functioning dam. After restoring the sluice complex and the supply canal, water can be directed to De Plateaux. This contributes to nature restoration in our province and also to our administrative ambition to open Brabant for permit issuance.”
After the restoration, management and maintenance will be with Natuurmonumenten, which also bears the financial responsibility for this. With good and regular maintenance, the sluice complex is expected to have a lifespan of at least 50 years.
Financing Measures Outside the Netherlands is Rare
The sluice complex and supply canal are owned by Natuurmonumenten and located on Belgian territory. Financing measures outside the Netherlands is possible within the framework of the national Nature Program phase 2.
However, subsidizing measures outside the Netherlands is rare. Earlier, a measure was subsidized in Belgium under the national Nature Program phase 1 for the phosphate purification Groote Meer in the Natura 2000 area Brabantse Wal. The restoration measures for De Plateaux are now a new good example of the effectiveness of this possibility.