The City of Brussels is preparing for the future with its new Municipal Water Plan.
Floods, drought, urban heat islands,...: Brussels faces numerous environmental problems. To respond to these, integrated water management in the urban space is essential. That is precisely the aim of the new Municipal Water Plan (PCE) adopted by the City.
The plan sees water as a valuable resource to fulfil the ambition of making Brussels a globally recognised water city by 2050.
Technological solutions are no longer enough to meet climate challenges. We need to rethink our policies and create more space for resilient hydrological solutions. With limited space in cities, water management is more than ever an urban challenge.
Yet water also offers opportunities to transform urban landscapes in an integrated way. The PCE aims to establish a new generation of projects at different scales, from street level to the whole city.
The PCE includes 6 'water objectives' and 7 'water yards', as well as 28 project files to guide the transition. These concrete tools provide the necessary keys to start the transformation process.
The water objectives (eau'bjectives) are as follows:
- Eau'bjective 1 - Restoring and strengthening the invisible and fragmented hydrographic network
- Eau'bjective 2- Stepping up the fight against drought and heat stress
- Eau'bjective 3 - Intensifying the fight against flooding
- Eau'bjective 4 - Improve the ecological quality of surface water and groundwater
- Eau'bjective 5 - Guarantee access to water for all and strengthen its circular use
- Eau'bjective 6 - Increase the involvement of all players and implement an effective water policy
The transition to a Water City by 2050 requires lots of projects at different scales. The project files are divided into 5 scales, from XS to XL, and require collaboration between many stakeholders:
- XS: stormwater management on private properties
- S: small-scale interventions in public spaces
- M: actions in public space that require a larger intervention
- L: projects in parks, ponds and watercourses
- XL: city-level initiatives
To fund these actions, the City of Brussels will evaluate several criteria, such as available financial resources and the technical feasibility of projects. The City needs your support to make this transition to a more sustainable future a success.
As a resident, you can do your bit by infiltrating or reusing water on your own property. Take a look at the climate bonuses:
Download the water plan and discover the projects undertaken by the City of Brussels:
Municipal Water Plan (25.64 MB) (in French)
Municipal Water Plan (36.10 MB) (in Dutch)
