West Flanders is preparing for demographic changes
Belgium, december 2008
9 regions in Europe secured an important Interreg subsidy in June for the project DC NOISE (Demographic Change: New Opportunities in Shrinking Europe). This project will deal with demographic developments in the region. No less than nine European partners are collaborating in this four-year project (2008-2011) piloted by Regio Twente. Through this project, the partners are looking ahead and responding to future demographic changes. West Flanders is one of the participating regions.
Besides climate change and globalisation, demographic changes are now recognised as one of the most important challenges within Europe. The first effects are already visible. Demographic changes show various trends, such as decline in absolute population size, decline in the youth cohort, ageing population, fewer employees, changing ethnic composition and increase in one-person households. These developments have consequences, for example, for the employment market, the support base for facilities, the housing market and the demand for care.
Activities West Flanders
• The Province of West-Flanders plans in 2008-2009 the following actions in cooperation with the Province of East Flanders and the VUB-university of Brussels:
• Population prognoses for West Flanders and East Flanders, based on a new method;
• Research concerning the possibilities of a population decline (and the consequences); regarding West Flanders and East Flanders;
• Development of an appropriate tool to monitor indicators as housing, welfare, labourmarket…for the local authorities;
• Development of an analyzing instrument to enable the translating of the prognoses into concrete consequences.
More information
www.west-vlaanderen.be/economie (only in dutch) or contact Nele Depestel (nele.depestel@west-vlaanderen.be or 050 40 73 51).
