Hannut continues to deploy its “Flood Resilience” plan. We explain the projects and actions in progress.
The City of Hannut, regularly hit by floods in recent years (2020, 2021, 2022, 2024), has made the fight against this scourge a priority. Municipal authorities are moving forward on an ambitious global plan entitled “Flood Resilience”, aimed at minimizing the impacts of flooding in the region’s villages. However, the administrative procedures and obtaining subsidies from the Walloon Region take time, which pushes the City to invoke urgency to act quickly.
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An action plan
To respond effectively to flooding, the City surrounded itself with experts by calling on a design office which made it possible to identify the most problematic areas. Among the solutions retained, the creation of Temporary Immersion Zones (ZIT) is at the top of the list. These natural devices make it possible to temporarily contain runoff water in the event of river overflow, thanks to the installation of dikes.
Hannut plans to set up 25 ZITs in the coming years. However, for reasons of feasibility and urgency, five of them have been defined as priorities. These projects are progressing well: three final permits out of five have already been granted, and the calls for tenders should be closed this year, allowing construction sites to begin in spring 2025.
Land and administrative obstacles
However, the creation of ZITs encounters difficulties, particularly linked to the acquisition of the land concerned, which sometimes belongs to private owners. This requires negotiations or expropriations, extending deadlines. To get around these obstacles, the authorities have chosen to carry out the administrative procedures in parallel in order to reduce implementation times.
Faced with the emergency, the City of Hannut decided not to wait for the official granting of regional subsidies to move forward with its projects. According to municipal authorities, waiting for validation of funding would have delayed the establishment of the ZITs by several years. This strategy is accompanied by a formal inquiry to the competent ministerial office to obtain a promise of subsidies and raise awareness of the need to accelerate the procedures.
Additional measures
In addition to the creation of ZITs, Hannut is deploying a series of complementary actions included in a global plan:
- Cleaning of sewers and 3,000 drains: these regular works aim to improve water flow and prevent blockages.
- Planting hedges and cleaning ditches: natural solutions to slow runoff and protect sensitive areas.
- Installation of bale dams: intended to slow down surface water in vulnerable areas.
- Strengthened collaboration with real estate developers: thanks to an agreement signed with AIDE (Intercommunal Association for the demerger and purification of municipalities in the province of Liège), subdivision projects must now comply with stricter requirements in terms of water management.
A bonus to help citizens
Since the beginning of 2024, the City of Hannut has also offered a “municipal anti-flood bonus” to encourage residents to adopt personal protection devices against floods and mudslides. This aid covers 80% of expenses incurred, up to a limit of €1,000 per building every five years.
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