Because areas with a low noise levels are rather scarce in The Netherlands the Environmental Protection Act foresees in the assignment of quiet zones in the Netherlands. In these zones the noise level should not exceed the "natural level". The national environmental policy plan (incorporated by the ministry of Environment) aims, in consultation with other municipalities, at the enlargement of the area quiet zones in The Netherlands before the year 2000 (of which a total 200 000 hectares has to be in the vicinity of agglomerations). At present a total of 390 000 hectares of quiet zones is established and another 160 000 hectares are assigned as potential quiet zones. An overlay of the quiet zones with the maps that indicate the disturbed area by noise shows that the total disturbed area in these quiet zones is rather low compared to the national average. As expected the percentage disturbed area in the already established quiet zones is lower that in the areas that will probably assigned as quiet zones in the future. An exception is the percentage disturbed area due to air lanes. This percentage is higher in the (potential) quiet zones because these are located in the most scarcely populated areas of The Netherlands, the same areas where the (potential) quiet zones are situated. back to home page disturbance