Ready to contribute? Let's act together!
The Belgian Biodiversity Alliance is a national initiative in favour of biodiversity that aims to bring together actors from all sectors – citizens, companies, municipalities, financial institutions, administrations, etc. – around the same objective: to restore biodiversity and fight against its erosion in Belgium and beyond, in a very concrete way, through voluntary engagements.
The BBA aims to create a network across Belgium, of both actors and initiatives, in support of the national, European and global targets on biodiversity towards the 2050 Vision of living in harmony with nature for the benefit of people and the Planet (United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity vision).
Belgium is a densely populated and highly urbanised country, with limited and fragmented open spaces between stretches of urban and low density peri-urban areas. It also has a high ecological footprint due to its specific production and consumption patterns, high volumes of importations, exportations and transits. To optimise its contribution to the biodiversity objectives, both in Belgium and abroad, the BBA will focus on two pathways that address the specific Belgian challenges.
2 axes - 10 objectives
Expanding the green-blue network in, around and between cities to enhance biodiversity
Belgium is a highly urbanised country which results in fragmentation of green and blue open spaces in, within and across urban and peri-urban areas. This affects the surrounding environment: animal species who cannot access a feeding or nesting site, migratory routes being cut, surface of natural habitats being reduced, etc. Expanding Belgium’s green-blue network will bring concrete ecological and socio-economic solutions in particular in relation to climate change, biodiversity loss, water management, soil erosion and air pollution.
Making Belgian production and consumption more biodiversity-positive
Belgium has a high ecological footprint and puts significant pressure on biodiversity. It is due to its dense population, its specific production and consumption patterns and its high volumes of importations, exportations and transits. These production and consumption patterns have negative consequences on Belgian territory but also abroad, as Belgium is a large importer of commodities and products. This results in loss, fragmentation and degradation of natural habitats and ecosystems, such as forests, savannahs, wetlands, mangroves, rivers. To achieve sustainability and resilience of various economic sectors, it is imperative to shift Belgian consumption and production patterns. Accounting for impacts on biodiversity is also crucial. This shift will benefit and enhance biodiversity in Belgium and abroad.
Wolvenberg
Wolvenberg is the only recognised nature reserve within the Antwerp ring road (R1). The reserve consists of a few green zones along the ring road, which together cover just over 12 hectares and which are managed according to a recognised nature management plan.
Wetlands4Cities
Wetlands4Cities is a project by Natuurpunt in collaboration with Ecover. The project aims to install five urban wetlands in Flanders and turn them into biodiversity hotspots, which act as natural climate buffers.
Kanaal
Kanaal represents the transformation of an industrial site in Wijnegem (a former distillery) into a mixed-use residential project in which different types of housing are complemented by offices, museum spaces, workshops and an underground car park. Nature is integrated everywhere on the site, on the roofs of the buildings, between the buildings, and even in the underground car park.
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Forestbase
At Forestbase, we are on a mission to protect àll primary rainforests globally. Deforestation is a land use crisis driven by financial incentive. Nature is inherently connected to land. There is a price on land everywhere. That means that nature is present in the financial system, but only with one leg.
Aquafin -Make stormwater runoff from service buildings more sustainable
There are also many service buildings within Aquafin's patrimony. With this project, we want to ensure that whenever one of our service buildings is up for renovation, the water management is critically reviewed and a cost-benefit analysis is carried out to consider whether it is opportune to implement green and blue measures such as wadis, infiltration basins, or infiltration trenches to locally infiltrate runoff rainwater.
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Aquafin -Enhancing local biodiversity
Aquafin has more than 200 wastewater treatment plants in Flanders. Since 2021, all these plants are being converted into fully biodiverse locations and maintained as such. This project involves 400 hectares, and we have achieved this through a global and uniform approach.
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