Ecosystems

Climate change and human pressures are weakening Belgium's ecosystems, undermining their capacity to provide essential services such as climate regulation, water management and food security. Forests, wetlands, agricultural soils and aquatic environments are directly impacted.

Accelerated erosion, loss of organic matter, ever-increasing pollution: soil health is directly impacted. Soils are also confronted with a loss of biodiversity. Intensified agricultural uses and the increase of extreme climatic events are compromising their capacity to absorb, filter and store water, but also to capture carbon and support food production. Once soils have deteriorated, it becomes complex, costly and time-consuming to restore them, and the process often takes decades. This degradation has a direct impact on food security and regional resilience.

Belgium's forests are increasingly vulnerable to recurrent climate disruptions. This affects their biodiversity and their ability to provide their ecological and economic services. Against a backdrop of climate disruption, single-species forests, in particular spruce and beech, are especially exposed to diseases and pests.

Additionally, prolonged drought, rising temperatures, the proliferation of invasive species and diffuse pollution are making freshwater ecosystems more fragile. These phenomena result in reduced water flows, longer periods of low river levels, and impaired capacity on the part of natural environments to regulate the water cycle. As a result, water quality deteriorates and water availability is significantly reduced. Tensions between agricultural, industrial and domestic uses are intensifying.

Severe cascading effects

Ecosystem degradation is not limited to environmental losses. People are also directly impacted. "The decline in ecosystem services such as water purification, flood control and pollination could have a direct impact on health, public finances, social stability and food security," warns Nils Bourland, biosciences expert at Cerac.

Enhancing resilience by restoring and protecting

In the face of these threats, the report calls for intensifying the ecological restoration efforts and protecting natural environments. Some of the identified levers for action:

• Restore wetlands and increase soil infiltration capacity to improve water management and limit flooding.
• Adapt farming practices, with better soil and water management.
• Protect forests against fires, diseases and invasive species.

Finally, an integrated, nature-based approach is essential, which combines land-use planning, agricultural policies and biodiversity conservation, to ensure the resilience of ecosystems and the valuable services they provide to society.

For more information, please refer to chapter 3.1 of the report. You will find an overview of the risks for ecosystems. In chapter 7, you will find, among other things, an overview of our recommendations for ecosystems.

Also read the technical papers and summary sheets that discuss these risks (download below).