Parte del Servizio "Land consumption and reduction policies in Belgium"
a cura di Stefano Salata
HOGENT-DRUM research group and KU Leuven, Belgium
For Flanders, the northern region of Belgium, limiting land take and soil sealing is urgent. The region’s landscape and soil are already heavily degraded, where currently one-third of the territory is settlement area and 15% of the land sealed with impervious materials. While the regional government has formulated a clear objective and path to reduction, there is still a long way to go in implementing the so-called Betonstop or Bouwshift. It is mainly through fragmented, incremental measures that the region is attempting to reduce land consumption. Regarding desealing, no structural measures have been taken yet. In this article, we take a closer look at the specific obstacles the region faces in implementing a ‘no net land take’ policy. Without decisive action, agricultural and natural land degradation will continue, undermining ecological sustainability and spatial efficiency.
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