Essential to life, water is at the heart of the climate crisis. We need to be prepared for periods of water scarcity and periods of intense rainfall, with the risk of flooding as rivers overflow their banks and the sewage system becomes saturated.
In Brussels, as in most cities, rainwater is discharged into the sewers rather than being used locally as a precious resource.
The Climate Plan proposes a framework for:
- combating water wastage and pollution
- limiting the risk of flooding by allowing rainwater to soak into the ground or to be stored and used where drinking water is not needed
- using water as a source of cooling in cities during heatwaves
Targets for 2030:
- A 10-minute walk to reach a cooling island
- A 40% reduction in tap water consumption in municipal buildings and in the maintenance of public outdoor spaces
- Remove 250,000 m² of impervious surfaces and make them permeable, or disconnect roofs from the sewerage system in the priority intervention zone of the Molenbeek catchment area
Discover all the solutions for preserving water:
