The Herk and Mombeek Living Lab targets a river basin in the upper part of the larger Demer basin, a region facing climate-related challenges typical for intensively used agricultural catchments in northwest Europe, such as droughts, flooding, and water quality issues. These challenges impact both the natural ecosystem and economic activities, for instance affecting fruit yields due to droughts. Organized by the Architecture Workroom Brussels, the Regionaal Landschap Herk en Mombeek and the river basin coordinator of the Demer basin (CIW/VMM), the Living Lab aims to transform the landscape into a ‘sponge’ by restoring the natural water system. It brings together regional stakeholders, including governments, farmers, citizens, the nature sector, NGOs, and researchers in a co-design process for measures to address flooding and drought. This social innovation process requires reaching a consensus on risks and societal trade-offs. Over a decade of innovative projects have experimented with different ways to contribute to a more robust water system, culminating in the formal establishment of the Living Lab in 2023. It is the ambition of the Living Lab to learn from these experiences and to combine local knowledge and hydrological and agricultural expertise, towards an impactful transformation of the river basin, enhancing water security, food production, and biodiversity within the river basin.
