A regional flood emergency response plan was approved on Tuesday for Brussels.
At the request of the provincial security unit, which underlined the importance of prioritizing emergency planning and crisis management in the face of extreme weather phenomena, safe.brussels developed a specific emergency plan last year and intervention in the event of flooding (PPUI Floods).
This plan now constitutes the main reference framework for managing severe flooding requiring coordination at the regional level.
It includes a summary of actions and measures that water operators and crisis managers can implement in the event of flooding or the threat of flooding. Communication and information intended for the public, as well as support for citizens to help them adopt good practices, also occupy a central place.
“We have identified two types of scenarios. First mass showers or rising water levels. From this, we studied the measures to take such as closing tunnels, parks and the recommendations to make to the population”explains Sophie Lavaux, governor for crisis management in the Brussels region.
“In the event of a crisis, citizens must also be well informed, follow the instructions of the authorities and not relay fake news. We saw in Valencia last year that this is not always the case, with people taking to the road during the floods.”
In 2023, a Brussels water management plan 2022-2027 (PGE) had already been approved and published by Brussels Environment, with the aim of improving the region’s resilience in this regard.
It provided for several government measures to combat flooding and minimize their damage. It is now supplemented by this flood plan, which will be deployed this year at the level of emergency and intervention services and municipalities.
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