Network Ecological Monitoring

Data are based upon the Water birds Monitoring Network, as part of the Network Ecological Monitoring (NEM), in which various government institutions (the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation, the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, the Directorate for Waterways and Public Works, the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, provinces and Statistics Netherlands) cooperate.

As many data as deemed necessary are collected. The collection of data is largely funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation and is mostly done by volunteers and coordinated by private organisations.

The Water birds Monitoring Network counts all water birds hibernating in and flying across the Netherlands in all the important wetland areas. The Dutch Centre for Field Ornithology (SOVON) is responsible for the coordination of the bird counts.