In the summer period, the levels of ground and surface water in Flanders are often too low. Although it seems to rain a lot, the region is experiencing huge water stress, which means that the demand for water is exceeding capacity. There are more and more people, the production of food, among other things, requires a lot of water, and at the same time nature often is replaced by housing, industry and road networks, making it difficult for rainwater to seep into the ground.
In addition, we use a lot of water in our country, both direct water that flows from the tap at home, and indirect water that is needed to produce the products we use. Not only are we putting too much pressure on our own water resources, but also on those of other countries.
Action is therefore necessary if we want to avoid exhausting our local and global water resources. By looking at how and what we consume, we can contribute to the quality of life of communities elsewhere in the world, as well as the ecosystems they inhabit.
What we do
- Annually we launch the Water Challenge (www.waterchallenge.be), an awareness campaign for a wide audience. The campaign has several objectives: to encourage people to calculate their water footprint, to inform them about the water footprint of products, and to encourage them to change their consumption behaviour.
- We are developing different versions of the Water Challenge companies and associations, so we can reach even more people.