ABSTRACT

In Brussels, as in many other European urban areas, the separate management of storm water represents a major environmental challenge. In 2007, in the municipality of Forest, one of the nineteen municipalities in the Brussels Capital Region, citizens formed the Comite Stop Inondations Saint-Denis in an effort to focus on the on-going threat that flood waters were posing to the lower part of the community. These citizens sought to increase awareness on the part of both local institutions and the broader society in regard to the local water cycle, in particular the role of rainwater as a source. They were able to attract the attention of other citizens and associations and to garner recognition from the relevant local authorities. Other such initiatives have also flourished, including two sets of participatory activities, the Balade Verte et Bleue (Green and Blue Walk) and Ilot d'Eau (Urban Water Block/Island), designed to formulate feasible environmental measures for the implementation of separate drainage service.