Belgian Initiative for making a leap forward towards good status in the river basin of the Scheldt

The Belini IP will be implemented within the Scheldt International River Basin District (IRBD). The population density of this IRBD is among the highest in Europe (over 350 inhabitants/km²), causing significant pressures on the water system (urban wastewater, hydro-morphological alterations etc.). Moreover, the surface and groundwater quality in this district is adversely affected by a diffuse inflow of nutrients and pesticides coming from intensive agriculture. Significant industrial areas are found across the district, and its water system, as a result, is intensively used by the three main groups of water users (the local population, industry, agriculture), making it very difficult to reach the good status in all of its water bodies as required by the WFD. In addition, the entire district is also prone to flooding that must be tackled in line with the FD.OBJECTIVESThe IP Belini project will focus on a well-designated part of the Scheldt IRBD that is representative of the whole district – i.e. the catchment area of three Belgian tributaries of the main river Scheldt: the Zenne, the Dyle and the Demer. LIFE Belini aims to address the environmental problem at an interregional scale. The project combines best practice with capacity building, carrying out pilot and awareness raising activities.It will also contribute to adaptation to climate change (e.g. actions to reduce flood and drought risks) and will enhance biodiversity (e.g. actions to remove fish migration barriers, create semi-natural river banks and restored ecological functioning, etc.). In this way, the project also contributes to the creation of more ecosystem services within the project area. These complementary actions are part of the river basin management plan (RBMPs) for the Scheldt, which has the same geographical scope and tackles the same additional challenges as the IP.The overall objective of the LIFE Belini is to support the targeted and coordinated implementation of the RBMP measures that will achieve significant progress towards the good status of water bodies in line with the WFD. It will carry out a set of measures that have been identified as most effective for improving the Scheldt RBD, in particular the three selected catchment areas. Special focus will be on implementing the WFD and RBMPs in a multi-functional way, implementing the Floods Directive and Flood Risk Management Plans, and strengthening local, interregional and international cooperation. Actions include:Planning and realisation of best practice, demonstration and pilot projects to facilitate the implementation of the RBMP;Implementing concrete projects in rural and highly urbanised areas to show that the area can support an effective riverine ecosystem;Capacity building and training sessions to disseminate the project procedures and outcomes, along with the production of guidance documents for water managers from other areas;Reinforcing cooperation among the Belgian authorities and river basin managers and stakeholders. (For the project area, which crosses three Belgian regions, stronger cooperation is needed to improve implementation of the WFD and RBMPs on all sides. Water directors of all Belgian entities will meet and decide strategy and the existing CCIM/CCPIE Steering Group Water will act as a supervisory ‘strategic coordination group’);Mitigating the impact of the three major combined sewer overflows of Brussels;Treating polluted highway (road) stormwater runoff;Tackling nitrate pollution from agriculture;Assessing the origin and nitrate trends near the drinking water abstraction site of Leefdaal Puttebos;Restoring the quality structure and improving the sticking points for fish migration in the city centres of Sint-Pieters-Leeuw (Zuunbeek) and Leuven (Dijle);Disseminating knowledge among and within regions; andCreating shared monitoring schemes in order to evaluate the project results.In addition to the IP budget itself the project will facilitate the coordinated use of €276 288,120 complementary funding from EAFRD, EMFF, EIB, Région wallonne and Vlaams Gewest.RESULTSExpected results: The LIFE IP Belini project expects to establish ways of achieving significant improvements of the ecological status of the water bodies: removing fish migration barriers; river restoration (e.g. uncovering the Senne river); habitat creation (partly Natura 2000); restoration of lateral continuity; creation of (semi-)natural river banks; wetland restoration; erosion control; and tackling nitrate pollution. It is also expected to raise (natural) water retention capacity and thus reduce flood and drought risks.Monitoring will highlight the effectiveness of the measures on water quality and quantity, leading to the use or otherwise of similar measures in other parts of the Scheldt river basin. Ecological modelling will outline the effectiveness of WFD measures for achieving good status for each of the biological quality elements. Appropriate measures will be selected to tackle sources of pollution in groundwater and surface water.The project is expected to lead to deeper interregional cooperation and the development of new ways to work together. The interregional coordination mechanisms developed within the IP project will be transferred to the entire Scheldt RBD, so that for the three RBMPs a common approach and action can be applied. Greater engagement on a local level is expected to lead to wider support and acceptance of WFD measures and an increased willingness to pay for them.Expected results: The LIFE IP Belini project expects to establish ways of achieving significant improvements of the ecological status of the water bodies: removing fish migration barriers; river restoration (e.g. uncovering the Senne river); habitat creation (partly Natura 2000); restoration of lateral continuity; creation of (semi-)natural river banks; wetland restoration; erosion control; and tackling nitrate pollution. It is also expected to raise (natural) water retention capacity and thus reduce flood and drought risks.Monitoring will highlight the effectiveness of the measures on water quality and quantity, leading to the use or otherwise of similar measures in other parts of the Scheldt river basin. Ecological modelling will outline the effectiveness of WFD measures for achieving good status for each of the biological quality elements. Appropriate measures will be selected to tackle sources of pollution in groundwater and surface water.The project is expected to lead to deeper interregional cooperation and the development of new ways to work together. The interregional coordination mechanisms developed within the IP project will be transferred to the entire Scheldt RBD, so that for the three RBMPs a common approach and action can be applied. Greater engagement on a local level is expected to lead to wider support and acceptance of WFD measures and an increased willingness to pay for them.