Meyer also stresses that drastic measures must be taken in the future in the landscape. Many of the spaces are paved and tiled, which means the ground cannot absorb water.
“We have to look at our landscapes as a buffer zone. We’ve now made the landscapes very smooth by cutting down trees and paving a lot. We’re going to have to restore the roughness of those landscapes,” says Meyer.
Rivers do not respect borders
Another point for improvement, according to experts, is that there should be much better cooperation with national and international water boards. In Belgium, water boards are divided for each region. You have water boards, Walloon, Flemish and Brussels.
But rivers do not adhere to these limits. The Meuse flows through northern France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. According to Meyer, cooperation between these water boards is still limited. “It is imperative that all water boards at home and abroad start working together.”
In Belgium, the flood seems to have woken everyone up. The Belgian Interior Minister has already announced a study of what can be done better in the future. It is clear that the Belgian government will have to invest heavily in the coming years.
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