L’Escaut sources in Gouy (North France) at 100 meters above sea level, flows as Schelde through Ghent (West Belgium) and Antwerp, meanders as Western Scheldt (Southwest of the Netherlands) into the North Sea. In 350 km, the river widens to 65 meters (Ghent), 450 meters (Antwerp), 5.000 meters (Flushing). The yearly discharge of fresh water is around 4 billion cubic meters, but daily, 1 billion cubic meters of salty seawater flows with the tide in and out of the estuary, making the Western Scheldt an ecologically important habitat for humans and other species.
Humans polluted the Scheldt River with their waste, peaking in the 20th century. Brussels started treating its wastewater in 2007, which was a big improvement for water quality in the Zenne, a tributary to the Scheldt. Oxygen levels have risen, but due to particles in the water, there is not enough light for the growth of algae and bacteria. For decades, the discharges of PFAS (a ‘forever’ chemical) into the Scheldt were unknown to the public. It is not recommended to swim, to eat fish from this water, or to eat eggs from your garden.
An estuarine ecosystem like the Western Scheldt needs room to be dynamic: grooves need to change their direction, to disappear and appear elsewhere. When there is not enough room, this process stops, and canalisation shows up. Not very much, but around 3.000 hectares are needed to restore a healthy Western Scheldt.
‘Rights of the Scheldt’
‘Rights of the Scheldt’ is an initiative of inhabitants and organisations in Zeeland aiming at a better life for the Scheldt River because the good intentions of industry, ports, and government are not yet effective enough. It is part of the global Rights of Nature movement and of the Earth Trusteeship Initiative.
Drinkable Scheldt
Drinkable Scheldt is a compass and a movement of people, organisations, and municipalities working towards a Scheldt watershed that is ecologically healthy and in balance that you could drink straight from the (non-tidal) part of the river again. This movement is born from Drinkable Rivers, a worldwide movement. Scheldt.drinkablerivers.org and www.DrinkableRivers.org.
