Water insecurity and drought in Belgium

Water insecurity in Belgium has transitioned from a documented social and economic issue to an acute environmental crisis. An initial study by the King Baudouin Foundation indicated that between 12.4% and 12.8% of Belgian households faced water insecurity, characterized by insufficient access to high-quality drinking water or excessive water costs. The Brussels-Capital Region was identified as the most severely impacted area, with 23.2% of households affected due to high urban density and lower average incomes.

This socioeconomic vulnerability has been compounded by a severe drought affecting 80% of the country. Precipitation deficits, comparable to those seen in 2018, have directly impacted drinking water production. Specifically, the Meuse river's declining water levels have forced the Profondeville extraction center, which serves Brussels and parts of Wallonia and Flanders, to limit production. Officials have warned that production may be further reduced from 130,000 cubic meters per day to 90,000 cubic meters per day, potentially necessitating the use of water reserves.