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The Belgian Policy Lab is working in the Flemish Ardennes, one of five Flemish landscape parks approved in October 2023. The policy lab is a collaboration between the Flemish Ardennes landscape park coalition, the Flemish Land Agency and the Research Institute for Nature and Forestry.
The Flemish Ardennes are characterised by an interwoven landscape of unique villages, arable and livestock farming, nature areas and important watersheds. The hilly landscape also attracts many cycling tourists!
The landscape is facing various challenges, including grasslands under increasing pressure, which the Belgium Policy Lab will focus on. The grasslands disappear in favour of more profitable and intensive agricultural practices, prompted by growing demands from the urbanised regions. For example, there is demand for space to put horses for recreational use. Plus, climate change is an overarching pressure on the local landscape.
The loss of grassland feeds the loss of landscape features that bring many ecosystem benefits, causing issues such as erosion and sedimentation.
The Policy Lab focuses on preserving and conserving the existing grassland.
Throughout MOSAIC, we will address several questions:
- Can we determine the pressure on the existing grasslands?
- How can we best value and conserve our remaining grasslands?
- If land use change is inevitable, what are the most desirable ecological, economic and cultural uses?
- How can we balance the needs of nature, agriculture, tourism and more in a harmonious way?
Our role in MOSAIC is to work with local people to bring together different visions and experiences to preserve and enhance the landscape for the future. By working closely with the Flemish government, we can also translate the lessons we learn to other landscape parks.