About 1,800 people took part in the Big Jump at around 20 sites across Belgium on Sunday, as campaigners called for faster action to improve water quality.
The international event, held every second Sunday in July, sees thousands of people across Europe jump into rivers, lakes and other waterways to highlight the need to protect water resources.
In Belgium, GoodPlanet Belgium said the event was organised at 27 locations. At three sites in Flanders, participants were unable to enter the water because of poor water quality, but gatherings still went ahead.
“We have organised this festive event for 21 years to raise awareness among public authorities of the importance of preserving our water,” said Kerry Dablon, spokesperson for GoodPlanet, which coordinates the Big Jump in Belgium.
In Wallonia, Sunday’s event took place at several locations including the Meuse in Huy, Lake Genval, Habay-la-Neuve, Saint-Léger, Seneffe and Wépion.
The campaign is linked to the European Union’s Water Framework Directive, which came into force in 2000. The rules assess water bodies mainly on two criteria: ecological status and chemical status.
Ecological status is measured using three elements: biological quality, such as fish, aquatic plants and plankton; hydromorphology, including water flow and river structure; and physico-chemical parameters such as oxygen levels and nutrient content.
EU water was meant to reach good health by 2015. After that target was missed, a second deadline was set for 2021, which was also not met. The new deadline is December 2027.
Dablon said progress was being made, but far too slowly. In Wallonia, only 43% of water bodies are considered to have good ecological status, while none has good chemical status.
She said the picture was even worse in Flanders, where only one watercourse out of 195 meets ecological targets and none meets the chemical standard. “We are still far from meeting all the relevant European criteria,” she said.
GoodPlanet is calling for full public investment to achieve 100% water treatment coverage, the mainstreaming of rainwater infiltration, and structural improvements to sewer infrastructure.
The next Big Jump is scheduled for Sunday 12 July 2026.
