The Flemish Government has officially recognised last year's drought as a disaster, Belga News Agency reports.
"Based on the damage reports, the scientific recognition criteria and the opinion of the MRI [Royal Meteorological Institute], the 251 municipalities that have reported damage meet the conditions required to be recognised," the Flemish Government said on Friday.
The dry spell between March and August last year caused significant crop damage across Belgium's Dutch-speaking region, as well as many other parts of Europe.
The Government's recognition paves the way for farmers who suffered financially from the drought to claim compensation from the Flemish Calamity Fund (Vlaams Rampenfonds).
