Persistent drought is starting to take its toll: « First captive ban may already be within a few weeks »

Last weekend a splash of rain fell here and there, but nature could gradually use more solid rain showers. Both in February and in March and April, a lot less rain fell than average. « The situation is similar to the dry for years we had in 2020 and 2022, » says Patrick Willems (KU Leuven) Professor. « 2024 was of course extremely wet, so we have built up a precipitation surplus of 200 millimeters. That surplus is strongly shrinking. We have already lost 100 millimeters of reserve. »

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This means that the water levels of the groundwater and the rivers are sinking. « We are not worried yet, but in certain regions it is already drier than in others, » says Willems. « Especially in West Flanders and the north of East Flanders it is dry. If it stays that way, we will probably get the first capture prohibitions in those regions within a few weeks. Even in 2022, the first forbidden was coming mid-May. That means that no one can still extract water from the watercourses there, which will mainly affect farmers in those areas. »

According to the latest report from the Flemish Environment Agency (VMM), 60 percent of the groundwater levels showed a low to very low level for the time of the year. « The following report is expected in the coming days, and that percentage will perhaps amount to 70 percent, » says Willems. « There is still a lot of groundwater, but the reserves are shrinking faster than we would now expect. This can cause problems for companies and drinking water production when we get an extremely dry period in the summer. But it is not nearly that far. » (Jvde)