Climate change has negative effects on the growth and survival of plants, the existence of animals, and water levels (Thomas et al., 2004). In the Netherlands, two sustainability issues caused by climate change are abundantly present: the loss of biodiversity (Rijksoverheid, 2013) and rising water levels (KNMI, n.d.). The Netherlands is vulnerable to sea level rising; 26% of the land lies beneath the sea level and 59% of the land is susceptible to flooding. Consequently, 55% of the land is protected by dikes or dunes (Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving, n.d.). Second, the country’s biodiversity is exceptionally low compared to other countries. While climate change is one reason for this, the main cause is land-use change. This consists of the intensification of agriculture, which resulted in the loss of biodiversity (Haveman, 2006). The Mean Species Abundance in the Netherlands is only 15%, meaning that compared to natural settings only 15% of the population is present. The average M SA in Europe is about 40%, indicating that the biodiversity is below average in the Netherlands (Rijksoverheid, 2013). Therefore, increasing biodiversity in the Netherlands through improved management of both natural areas and Becau urban areas is vital. use of this vulnerability, it is of great importance that the dikes are improved regularly. Apart from having dikes to prevent flooding, it is also important to give the river enough space before reaching the dike: this is called floodplains. Another important aspect that improves the quality of the dikes is a high level of biodiversity since the roots of plants make the dikes less vulnerable to erosion (Berendse et al., 2015; HDSR, 2018; Liebrand, 1999; Van Loon two susta inability issues Steensma, 2017). This is where they are connected.
