Lauwe (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – After €100,000 flood damage in Lauwe (May 10, 2023), Menen is replacing 1 football field with a water buffer zone, adding artificial turf, 50 trees, and 2,600 bushes (Renaat Vandenbulcke, Kasper Vandecasteele).
As VRT News reported, Lauwe, part of Menen, in the province of West Flanders, Belgium, is fixing up the sports grounds in response to the flooding. They’re taking out 1 of the 4 football fields to make a special area for collecting water. This will help keep the rest of the area from flooding. To make sure the local football clubs still have enough space, one of the grass fields will become artificial turf.
Officials mentioned that this new turf will let them play all year, no matter the weather, which natural grass can’t always do. By changing the space like this, the city is making sure there’s still enough room for football while stopping future flood damage.
How is Lauwe’s sports park being upgraded to prevent flooding?
The local government is focused on sustainably managing water and improving the community. According to Alderman Renaat Vandenbulcke, the new area will have systems to slowly drain rainwater and let it soak into the ground instead of going straight into the sewers. This helps prevent flooding and refills the underground water supply naturally.
He mentioned that besides these environmental steps, a new artificial grass field is being built and should be ready in October 2025. Although artificial turf isn’t as good for the environment as real grass, the surrounding area will help reduce its impact, keeping the project environmentally friendly.
According to Alderman Kasper Vandecasteele (VOOR 8930), people living nearby will have a nicer and healthier place to live, with lots of new plants coming in spring 2026. They plan to plant 50 trees and 2,600 bushes that belong in the area and will grow well there.
He mentioned that these plants are good because they don’t need much care and help local animals. The new plants will make things look better, keep the area cooler, clean the air, and create more inviting public areas.
On May 10, 2023, the town of Lauwe faced a serious problem when a heavy rainstorm hit. This storm, often called a “water bomb,” caused major flooding in the area. Because of how the land slopes, a lot of rainwater flowed down and collected at the lowest point, which was near the town’s sports hall.
The building was soon covered in about half a meter of water, and this caused over €100,000 worth of damage. Seeing the need for action, the city of Menen stepped in, knowing that extreme weather events like this are becoming more common.
The local authorities decided that the sports site needed to be improved to protect it from future floods. They also wanted to make sure it could still be a valuable place for the community to have fun and stay active.
“The adjustments must now prevent such flooding”,
Says Alderman Renaat Vandenbulcke (VOOR 8930).
