Water Protection Against Nitrate and Pesticides From Agricultural Sources – History of Actions Taken at Farm Scale in Wallonia (Belgium) for 15 Years

Abstract

Founded into the frame of EU regulations regarding nitrate and pesticides management, the Walloon structure PROTECT’eau aims to give farmers professional advices to implement good farming practices in order to prevent diffuse water pollution. The taken actions are the result of a strong collaboration between professional advisors, who provide technical and administrative support to farmers, and scientific partners, who produce regional references. Communication to the sector is another core activity of PROTECT’eau. It is indeed essential to make the objectives clearly understood to ensure a large application of the measures and achieve significant results regarding the quality of groundwater.