Too many ditches

Flanders has far too many ditches, estimated at 73,000 to 81,000 kilometers. Jan Staes and Dirk Vrebos explain: “According to our new water system map, based on detailed geographic data, these ditches cause hundreds of millions of cubic meters of water to flow too quickly to the sea each year. That is problematic in times of drought, because the water we actually need cannot seep into the soil or remain in natural areas.”

Many of the ditches were created centuries ago to drain farmland, but in today’s climate—with more frequent droughts and increased paving—they have the opposite effect. A single poorly placed ditch can dry out an entire valley, making nature restoration nearly impossible. Yet attempts to fill in ditches often meet resistance from local authorities and landowners, who fear waterlogged fields or the loss of boundary markers.

Although the Flemish government has been working on an official ditch map, it has been postponed until at least 2029 after facing heavy criticism. Staes and Vrebos argue that this is far too late: action is needed now, even if the map is imperfect. Their message is clear: Flanders must selectively fill in or modify ditches to better retain water and prevent future damage to nature and landscapes.

Read the full interview in De Standaard.

Photo by Ries Bosch on Unsplash​