Here's how you can help yourself against persistent drought: use sustainable solutions from green sector against water scarcity

The ongoing drought is causing a lot of misery, but how can you do your part to solve it? By using as little water as possible, but of course your garden also needs water to avoid becoming dry. Thanks to smart solutions from the green sector, which you and professionals can admire at the Ghent Green Trade Fair at the end of September, private gardens can continue to flourish.

Flemings are devoted to their gardens. We can see this in the surface area: private gardens occupy an estimated 8 percent of the total space in Flanders. Those gardens consist of two major aspects: greenery and concrete.

Concrete causes the environment to heat up even more, and if all those gardens have to be watered at the time of heat waves and water shortages, while farmers are barely allowed or able to water their fields, we will collectively be in trouble.

"I get nervous about the pumping sprinklers watering fully grown lawns, while farmers are barely allowed to keep their crops wet," says Jeroen Arnouts, Head of Event at Easyfairs, organizer of the exhibition Green. "A lot of innovative, sustainable solutions exist today and we need to take full advantage of them."

Green sector offers solutions

Therefore, the green industry plays an important role in encouraging individuals to green their gardens the right way. The right way means discouraging people from building large terraces or driveways made of stone or concrete, and offering an alternative instead.

"Those alternatives, such as grass slabs, grass concrete tiles, open pavements with loose pebbles and semi-open pavements with porous joints or stones ... will be on display at the Green trade fair at the end of September," Arnouts says.

Discover natural cooling at exhibit Green

"Also, the right trees and shrubs in your yard provide natural cooling and slow evaporation of water from thirsty lawns. They increase moisture levels in the garden, providing a greener lawn naturally without sprinklers. You can also enjoy them yourself because of the natural shade they offer you."

The sustainable innovations, trees and plants mentioned above can be found by garden contractors and architects, green services, garden centers and retailers at no fewer than 220 exhibitors at Green in Flanders Expo in Ghent on September 25, 26 and 27, 2022.