More than half of the Brussels region is now impermeable, new data from the Brussels environment agency shows. This means that water experiences difficulty in percolating into the soil to filter out pollutants and recharge the water table. The situation has dire consequences for the city's viability.
Some 53 per cent of Brussels now consists of impermeable ground surfaces. If the Sonian Forest is excluded, this figure rises to 59 per cent. The Brussels environment egency calculated the figure using artificial intelligence, satellite images and aerial photos.
The percentage has doubled since 1955 and increased in a straight line since 1993. Impermeability is particularly high in the centre of the region. ‘The Pentagon formed by central Brussels is now 93 per cent impermeable,’ the agency says. This evolution is worrying and makes Brussels very vulnerable to situations like the recent water bomb in Valencia (Spain).
Floods on the cards
The Brussels environment agency is warning about the challenges paving brings in terms of rainwater management and soil protection, but also for the environment and the viability of the city. ‘This evolution increases the chances of flooding, creates problems for the recharging of groundwater and is pernicious for the quality of waterways.’
Good Soil strategy in Brussels
The Brussels environment agency is advocating the creation of more green areas, the use of permeable paving, green roofs and rainwater harvesting systems. The Good Soil strategy, approved by the Brussels government in May 2024, looks into the feasibility of discontinuing soil paving in Brussels by 2050 and the softening of certain ground surfaces that have already been made impermeable.