The article is devoted to identifying the main environmental problems in Amsterdam and various ways to solve them. The structure of the economic activity of the city was analyzed and the main pollutants manufacturing and power industry, construction, were identified. Three major problems of interaction between nature and society in the city are considered: air pollution, reduction of biodiversity and lack of fresh water. The traditional and modern approaches to solving these problems, currently used in Amsterdam, are identified and characterized. The role of the city administration and its population in their regulation is described: administrative and economic methods are mainly used in Amsterdam to reduce the negative impact of the city on the environment and introduce innovations that can stimulate environmental protection.