What do we see?
Fewer people were affected by water scarcity in 2020 than in previous years. On the other hand, the number of people affected by water shortages has increased significantly. Forecasts show that in 2030 the situation will be reversed.
If we look at the figures per region, we see that Flanders experiences the biggest impact here. Housing has an important impact on the supply of water. The increasing amount of built-up area disrupts the natural water cycle and is one of the causes of the predicted increase in water scarcity.
What’s the aim?
There is an important link between housing and the natural water cycle. If the amount of hard surface area continues to rise, we expect that water scarcity will also increase. A smaller area of built-up land could contribute to less water scarcity. However, we also have to take into account economic growth and the need for buildings for the population.
What does this indicator measure?
This indicator shows how many people in Belgium are affected by water scarcity and water shortages. The data for this indicator comes from World Data Lab.
