Belgium and Netherlands impose water restrictions amid severe drought

Regional authorities in Belgium and the Netherlands have escalated drought response measures as prolonged heat and low river inflows push water resources to critical levels. In Belgium, the governor of Walloon Brabant extended a fire‑prevention decree, banning open fires, barbecues on public land and the use of thermal weeders, while the governor of Antwerp imposed a temporary ban on water extraction from nearly all non‑navigable streams and public canals. Flemish officials raised the water‑scarcity code to orange, applying restrictions on irrigation and other water‑intensive activities.

In the Netherlands, water boards and Rijkswaterstaat upgraded the national drought response to Level 2, prioritising protection of flood defenses, drinking‑water supplies and energy production. Measures include limiting the opening of sluices for recreational traffic, temporarily closing the Rietveldsluis to retain fresh water, and deploying additional pumps and the climate‑resilient water‑supply system that can deliver up to 15 000 L s⁻¹ of fresh water to the western region. Drink‑water remains sufficient, but users are urged to conserve.

Across both countries, agricultural irrigation, surface‑water extraction and certain recreational water uses are restricted, with ongoing monitoring and the possibility of further tightening if dry conditions persist.