Mayors for a Drinkable Meuse gathering #8 (2026, Maastricht, NL)

The eighth “Mayors for Drinkable Meuse” gathering took place on May 29, 2026, in Maastricht, The Netherlands. The focus on tributaries, such as the Geer / Jeker*, appeared on the agenda for the first time: a sign that the Meuse River basin is being viewed in an increasingly concrete and comprehensive manner.

In the morning, Arnold Jansen and Michel Smits (Limburg Water Board), Maarten van der Ploeg (RIWA Maas), and Bernard De Potter (Flemish Environment Agency) shared their insights, expertly facilitated by moderator Simone van Trier:

• During their talk, Waterboard Limburg demonstrated the extent to which tributaries and feeder rivers require cross-border cooperation with upstream neighbors in Germany, Belgium, France, and Luxembourg.
• RIWA Maas showed that the Meuse is an extremely important source of drinking water for millions of people, and illustrated the journey river water takes before it comes out of the tap. We learned that the quality of the Meuse and the impact of climate change directly determine how much water needs to be treated.
• The presentation by VMM (Flemish Environment Agency) made it clear that the water quality and ecological status of the Meuse are still moderate to inadequate to meet the Water Framework Directive targets. Restoration through local, regional, and international cooperation—from source to mouth—is essential. If we want to achieve the Water Framework Directive goals to the greatest extent possible and, alongside all existing measures, make the impossible possible, we need to involve many more residents.

Fittingly, during a week of high temperatures, the emphasis in our morning talks was placed on improving the sponge effect of the entire watershed: how a healthy watershed retains water and releases it gradually, and what that means for long-term (drinking) water security. A healthier river and landscape means less treatment needed — and greater resilience for the millions of people who depend on the Meuse as their source of drinking water.

After a morning full of inspiring talks, we spend the afternoon in the field. The excursions were led by guides Ron Werné, Gilbert Soeters, Lysan Wolf, Gaby Bollen, Peter Alblas, Gid van Schijndel, and Serve Minis.

Citizens take the floor

A highlight of the gathering was the active role of citizen initiatives. During the meeting, residents and local activists voiced their concerns and put concrete proposals on the table for how to better care for the water:

• Reinier Hoon spoke touching words about the river at a beautiful, picturesque spot along the Jeker.
• Three citizens’ initiatives, Leve de Jeker, Kanne Beter and ASBL Bien Vivre en Vallée du Geer wrote and shared their ‘Living Jeker 2035’ Plan:
  A call for a living Jeker through cross-border cooperation
• Nico Broekema wrote this resolution of the eighth Mayors for a Drinkable Meuse gathering. You can find it here in Dutch and French. 

Their contributions offer proof that grassroots engagement makes a real difference, and that a combination of main and side streams, as well as government officials and citizen initiatives, can be a powerful driver of change. 

A voluntary network, with real commitment

The strength of the “Mayors for a Drinkable Meuse” network lies in its openness. Participation is voluntary, but not without commitment: everyone present has made a conscious choice to work toward restoring the health of the Meuse, with the long-term ambition that it might one day become drinkable once more.

This year, the Walloon municipalities of Oupeye and Visé co-signed the declaration. Other municipalities are also welcome to join.

What comes next

• This autumn, Drinkable Rivers is organizing the Meuse task force through four modules. All participants have received an invitation. More information can be found here. 
• At the end of May 2027, the network will meet again. This time along the Gueule / Geul in Valkenburg, following a week-long river walk through the Geul’s aquifer area.

Many thanks to the host municipality of Maastricht, Mayor Wim Hillenaar, and Alderman Hubert Mackus for the warm welcome and to all participants, speakers, and guides for their contributions.

* The Limburg Water Board took the initiative to organize a three-day river walk along the Geer / Jeker prior to the gathering, walking the river from its source. Each day, 20–30 people joined, including staff from the waterboard, municipalities, local environmental organizations such as the Walloon Contrat de Rivière Meuse Aval, and local residents and citizens’ initiatives such as Leve de Jeker.