This dataset is part of the 2018 Belgian submission for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) linked to descriptor 1, criterion 3. Occurrence of breeding seabirds describes the observation of eight seabird species (Common tern, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Common Gull, Small Black-backed Gull, Yellow-legged gull, Big Stern and Little Stern) on the Belgian coast between 1992 and 2015.

This dataset is part of the Belgian submission for the 2018 Marine Strategic Framework Directive (MSFD) and reports on descriptor 1, criterion 6. This dataset describes the soft benthos analysis performed in the Belgian part of the North Sea between 2010 and 2016. Information on the location, date and procedure used for the sediment sampling is povided as well as the description of the species found in the samples. Based on this dataset, the Belgian MSFD reporting concluded that the benthic habitat quality is clearly lower in areas where a certain activity interferes with the environment in an intensive way.

Owners' origin - Natural persons corresponds to the dataset describing the origin of the natural persons holders of real rights over immovable properties located in Belgium according to the municipality of residence for residents and according to the country or territory of residence for the non-residents. This dataset is made up of seven classes. The first class shows, at national level, for each type of property, the total number of parcels, the number of parcels held by holders from each Belgian municipality and the number of parcels held by holders from each country or territory. The number of parcels takes into account the shares actually held. The second class shows this information at the level of the three regions. The following classes do the same at the level of provinces, arrondissements, municipalities, land register divisions and statistical sectors. The dataset is freely downloadable, in the form of zipped CSV files.

This dataset is part of the 2018 Belgian submission for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) linked to descriptor 8, criterion 1. This dataset contains the contaminant concentrations measured in sediments at 10 monitoring stations in the Belgian part of the North Sea between 2011 and 2015. 88 parameters are measured in the upper part of the sea bottom by a Van Veen grab sampler. The contaminants are analyzed on the fraction < 63 µm. PCBs and heavy metals are analyzed by ILVO (and CODA). PBDEs, PAHs and organotin compounds are analysed by KBIN-OD Nature, PAHs and organotin based on an accredited method (ISO/IEC 17025).

Settlement area is defined here in terms of land use. Settelement area is the space occupy to live, work, relax and move around. This includes everything that seals the soil but also includes various forms of non-paved green space, such as gardens and parks or sports grounds and these are therefore not counted as open space. These indicators show the total settelement area expressed in m² and the part of the settlement area in relation to the total area per administrative entity (region, province, district and municipality) for Flanders.

The number of inhabitants according to official statistics per age group of 5 years and gender by administrative entity (region, province, district and municipality) for Flanders and the Brussels Capital Region

This dataset is part of the 2018 Belgian submission for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) linked to descriptor 5, criterion 1. This dataset contains the nutrient concentrations (ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, total nitrogen, phosphorus) measured on water samples taken in the BPNS between 2011 and 2016. The analysis of nutrients (N and P) is ensured by the national monitoring programme at ten sampling locations that are representative for the surrounding water masses. Based on all 2011-2016 results, the relationship with the salt content was calculated and, for each year, the value derived corresponding to a salt content of 33.5. The surface of the area where the nutrient concentrations exceed the respective thresholds was calculated on the basis of the relationship with the winter salt content and a climatology of the spatial distribution of the salt content (see annex D5 of the Belgian MSFD report). The resulting maps give a good overview of nutrient concentrations in the Belgian zone. In order to take into account the coastal-sea gradient and to illustrate the temporal trends in detail, the concentrations were also evaluated in three different areas of the BPNS: the coastal zone, the territorial zone and the open-sea zone. The long-term trends of nutrient concentrations in the three zones were assessed statistically.

The national wastewater-based epidemiological surveillance monitors public health parameters in several wastewater treatment plants across Belgium. The PMMoV virus is an indicator of human faecal contamination used to estimate the population load in wastewater samples. The results of this dataset consist of PMMoV concentrations over time as well as other data needed for the interpretations such as the flow rates of the treatment plants and the population covered.

Annual, summer and winter mean potential evapotranspiration given in respectively mm/year and mm/3 months and based on the Penman-Monteith definition. The potential evapotranspiration fields are available for the present target year 1975, which corresponds to the middle of the 30-year period 1961-1990.