Anyone wishing to join in a collective effort to draw attention to the cleanliness of Belgium's lakes and rivers can do so on Sunday 14 July when a new 'Big Jump' will be organised across Europe.
Last year, almost 1,900 people threw themselves into the water in Belgium. Twenty-eight jumps were scheduled, but five were cancelled due to the risk of thunderstorms. The organisers are hoping that the sun will shine this year, and that even more people will take part.
Some 30 sites will be taking part this year in the Belgian edition, coordinated by the GoodPlanet Belgium non-profit organisation. Twenty-one of these sites are in Flanders and 10 in Wallonia. Among the places to take a dip is Lac de Bambois, in Fosses-la-Ville, which will be accessible from 2.45pm, the IDEF association said in a press release. All the diving sites can be found on the GoodPlanet website.
"Water quality challenges remain," notes GoodPlanet Belgium "Our ground and surface waters are heavily polluted and often of poor quality due to a variety of factors."
In Wallonia, the condition of surface water bodies is slowly improving. "From 36% in good or very good ecological condition in 2008 to 44% ten years later," the association pointed out.
"Measurements carried out in 2023 showed that only one watercourse in Flanders out of 195 was in good condition, which is shocking," it added.
