Press release Coast and Climate, guide to an area-based approach

Climate and environmental factors at play on the coast are now brought together in a handy guide, www.topkustzone.be. This is an initiative of the Flemish Department of Environment, the team of the Flemish Governmental Architect and several government agencies, including ILVO.

Climate and environmental factors at play on the coast

The Flemish coast is a unique area in Flanders. It is known and loved by almost all Flemings as a tourist attraction, but the broader coastal zone that extends from the beach to the polders is also of strategic importance because of the ports and associated industry, because of the fertile farmland and valuable nature. As the lowest lying area in Flanders, it is also very vulnerable to climate change.

The Flemish Department of the Environment, together with the team of the Flemish Government Architect and various government agencies, has brought together the various climate and environmental factors at play on the coast in a handy guide. The ILVO Expertise Centre for Agriculture & Climate contributed to the chapters on the water system in the polders, fresh and salt, and solutions for water, agriculture and nature. The booklet makes a plea for not approaching the climate challenges on the coast in a fragmented way, but to look for solutions in an area-oriented way.