eea flag

For EU Member States, information is based on their official adaptation reporting: 2023 and 2021 adaptation reporting under the Regulation on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action (see EU Adaptation Reporting, Climate-ADAPT Country Profiles). Note: The relevant information has been copied from the EU official reporting on adaptation (submitted until 15 November 2023), without further elaborating the contents of the text. Some information, valid at the time of reporting, may no longer be valid today. Any necessary additions to the text are clearly highlighted. In addition, information collated in the EEA’s analysis of Climate change and health: the national policy review in Europe (2021). Note: Some information, valid at the time of publication, may no longer be valid today. Any necessary additions to the text are clearly highlighted. 

Information from Governance Regulation reporting on adaptation (2023, 2021)

The health sector is covered in the Belgian National Adaptation Strategy (NAS, 2010), the Flemish Plan on Climate Change Adaptation (RAP, 2022), the Brussels Regional Air Climate Energy Plan (RAP, 2016 with new plan pending adoption in 2023), and in the Regional and Provincial climate risk assessments (CRA, 2019). Health is considered an adaptation priority at the national, regional, and federal level.

The Brussels Regional Air Climate Energy Plan (pending adoption in 2023) includes a measure for protecting the population against climate hazards and related risks, particularly in terms of health. Two measures contribute to integrating climate change into sectorial policies, plans and programs: increasing climate change resilience of infrastructures that provides essential services to the Region, including health infrastructure, and the implementation of a health crisis management plan that integrates health risks related to climate change. The plan also includes the Mapping of vulnerable institutions and populations at the municipal and neighbourhood levels in order to develop appropriate adaptation actions.

One of the six strategies in the Flemish Climate Adaptation Plan (2022) is Climate adaptive health policy. A measure on Health and disaster policy addresses climate resilient health care, anticipating (new) climate-related vectors and diseases, and prevention. The engagement of stakeholders particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts is a key element through the entire Flemish Climate Adaptation Plan.

There has been cooperation with the working group on the National Environment and Health Action Plan for the development of the new National Adaptation Plan (2023).

Information from EEA report. Climate change and health: the national policy overview in Europe (2022)

National policies on climate change adaptation and national health strategies were analysed to identify the coverage of climate-related impacts on health (physical, mental, and social) and the types of interventions addressing them. The report provides a European overview, while the geographical coverage of various aspects of national policies across Europe can be visualized using the map viewer. The results for Belgium are summarised here.

Policy documents reviewed:

Belgian national adaptation plan (2017-2020)

Climate Change and Health - Set-up of monitoring of potential effects of climate change on human health and on the health of animals in Belgium (2009)

Aspects covered in the reviewed policy document:

Resources in the Observatory catalogue on Belgium

Language preference detected

Do you want to see the page translated into ?

Exclusion of liability
This translation is generated by eTranslation, a machine translation tool provided by the European Commission.