Sustainable management of karstic areas in WalloniaKarst Management & Protection 2 CWEPSS White...

1Karst Management & Protection CWEPSS White Paper - September 2015

Executive summary of the Ecokarst 100 - published by the CWEPSS - June 2015.

Sustainable management ofkarstic areas in WalloniaResults and prospects

Commission Wallonne d’Etude et de Protection des Sites SouterrainsCWEPSS - asbl, Clos des Pommiers, 26. 1310 La Hulpe - [email protected] / www.cwepss.org

The CWEPSS White Paper

Eco100Résumé-EN_Mise en page 1 18/09/2015 11:11


The 100th issue of the Eco Karst bulletindetails the evolution of the CWEPSS as-sociation, its demands and main actions infavor of the karst study and protectionover the last 40 years.

Based on this long experience, a set ofrecommendations is proposed for a more

sustainable management and protectionof karstic areas today in Wallonia. Someof these recommendations could betransposed and applied in other karstlandsin Europe and elsewhere, prompting us toproduce this English executive summary.

Once upon a time...Back in the early 1970’s, the situationconcerning karst and caves conserva-tion in Belgium was rather gloomy. Lo-cal and regional authorities had no inte-rest in about the karst and itsvulnerability. Even its existence was so-metimes totally neglected. The CWEPSS was founded in this diffi-cult context, by cavers, scientists andpeople involved in the management ofkarst regions, , with the primary aim ofresponding to threats on local limestoneareas.Initially, the association acted as a pres-sure group towards the authorities, in

order to elicit some changes in the legis-lation and a better consideration for thekarstic sites. The necessity of an accu-rate cartographic and descriptive inven-tory of the Walloon karst was soonconsidered an essential tool in asses-sing the values and vulnerability of kars-tic areas.After having produced a first version ofthis inventory, the CWEPSS came upwith concrete protection and manage-ment proposals , positioning itself as apartner of public authorities, while re-maining critical. This independence,combined with a good local knowledgeand an active network of collaborators,are the main strengths and originality ofthe association.

The CWEPSS White Paper Study and Protection of the WalloonKarst: Results and Prospects

Municipal dumping site in the Chawresse valley (1978).The site has not been rehabilitated but simply coveredwith soil.

A vision for karst managementThe underground environment is fascinating, richin information, fragile but also (by definition) hid-den and secret - and therefore largely unknown.To ensure its sustainable protection, the aware-ness of its importance and fragility must beconstantly repeated and reinforced. Within its350 actions since the 1970s, the CWEPSS hasemphasized efficient communication in order tobring together a wide range of stakeholders incave and karstland management and protection.

Current missions and actions

The CWEPSS coordinates actions and respondsto requests concerning karst and groundwater is-sues. These requests can come from public au-thorities (municipalities, regional Government),associations (rivers management organisations,cavers clubs, youth organisations) NGO’s busywith environmental management and protectionor by karsland inhabitants.

Pedagogical animation in Oret (Mettet) duringthe Karst Discovery Week (June 2014).



Our caves progressively become sewers! (awareness campaign CNPSS - 1986)

CWEPSS actions devoted to karst protection

● "Karstic depollution" (cleaning karstic sites), conservation and site management.

● Advice and recommendations on land-use planning (flooding areas, waste water, kars-tic risks), quarry extension plans, catchment area protection, and urbanization...

● Research projects: biodiversity, hydrogeological studies, state of the underground envi-ronment assessment.

● Raising public awareness about the water cycle and particularly its underground sec-tion, the karst and the caves (excursions, lectures, exhibitions, animations).

● Publications: karst comprehensive survey (published by watershed unit); quarterly bulle-tin "Eco Karst" providing karst and underground news in Wallonia and Europe.

● Participation at public inquiries and impact studies on projects having potential impacton karstic areas.

● Proposals and dossiers to give protection status to some outstanding or threatenedsites.

n Wallonia, the limestone areas cover upto 5,000 km², representing a third of theregion's territory. 7544 phenomena rela-ted to the limestone dissolution and 315karstic groundwater circulations are reco-gnized. Karst is therefore an essentialgeological feature and an important land-scape element. The touristic and ecologi-cal development linked to karst and cavesis another important issue. The dissolutionof limestone may also impose physicalconstraints on land management and localor regional development plans.The underground environment provides aunique environmental archive, given thestratification of the deposits and the lowimpact of external disruptive elements.Walloon caves are key sites for archaeolo-gical and prehistoric deposits.The subterranean world is also a livingenvironment, containing an astonishingbiodiversity symbolized for the public bybat communities. Much more discreet, butat least as interesting, is the undergroundinvertebrate fauna, which remains poorlyknown. The study of subterranean biodi-versity, in which several precursors havebeen active in Wallonia, still offers much todiscover!

On the surface, calcareous soils provideinteresting habitats for remarkable faunaand flora. Calcareous grasslands androcky massifs are well represented in theprotected areas (like Natura 2000), illus-trating their ecological value.The supply of 75% of the drinking waterin Wallonia depends on karst aquifers. 370million m3 are collected each year inthese particular reservoirs, part of thiswater being also distributed to neighbou-ring regions. .Some caves also have strong economicweight, thanks to tourism. Wallonia countsten show caves, including the famouscave of Han-sur-Lesse near Rochefort:the main touristic attraction in the south ofthe country, attracting 200,000 visitorseach year. Limestone areas also offer aninteresting environment for trekking, andfor a "qualitative ecotourism" based onthe discovery and understanding of typicallandscapes.Finally, the speleological interest of theWalloon caves goes well beyond meresport. Cave exploring in Belgium is hardand patient work... But in practice, it unfor-tunately happens that speleologists,

Instead of being included in the manage-ment and protection of underground sitesthey have often discovered, are simply ex-cluded and / or discredited by some scien-tists or institutions.

A vulnerable environment offering multiple interests

Quarry exploiting the carboniferous limestone over 7 succesive layers (Antoing -Tournai).

Lesser Horseshoe Bat (picture JL Gathoye).



Karst & Quarries● To take into consideration the presence of karstic sites

prior to the delivery of mining permit. Where appro-priate, specific constraints - including the limitation ofexploitable areas or even refusal of the license- shouldbe imposed by the competent authorities.

● To impose reporting of any cave discovery in their quar-ries by the quarrymen, to enable examination andscientific evaluation and a potential protective excava-tion in a reasonable time frame.

● To include the whole watershed of remarkable karsticsites when assessing the possible impact of the crea-tion or extension of a quarry.

● To predefine and integrate the post-mining rehabilitationprogram in the granting of mining licenses (with finan-cial guarantees). Old quarries are potentially rich habi-tats for plants and animals

Management of Show Caves● The management and exploitation of show caves must

respect the heritage value of the site and, in particular,comply with the requirements of their protection sta-tutes..

● To respect and apply the international recommendationsfor show caves for improvements, security, lighting,choice of materials, impact, monitoring visits (see speci-fic guidelines from UIS, IUCN, International Show CaveAssociation).

● For a large majority of people, show caves are the onlyaccess points to the underground environment. There-fore, a high quality pedagogical project is an additionalasset to strengthen the attractiveness of the site, aboveand beyond simple profitability concerns.

● To allow and promote caving explorations and scientificresearch in show caves; the results of both activitiescan usefully be included within the guided tour propo-sed to the visitors.

Protection Status and Conservation of theUnderground HeritageThe granting of protection status (theoretically) protectsany remarkable area from depredation. In fact, as strict asthey are, these statutes when applied to karst are not suf-ficient to ensure long term conservation of the karstic heri-tage. They often lack specific and appropriate manage-ment measures, taking into consideration the karstintrinsic vulnerability . Therefore we advocate :● The classification of the most remarkable sites not yet

protected (Han-sur-Lesse, the “Noû Bleû” in Sprimont,the “Grotte de l’Isbelle” in Hotton, the “Fosse aux Ours”in Rochefort, the “Grotte-mine de Vaulx-sous-Olne”…).

● The enforcement of specific measures of the under-ground sites and their hydrogeological basins that arecomprised within vast areas under protection (Natura2000, natural reserves, natural parks, Geopark...).

● The inclusion in the classification decrees of items ap-propriate to the particularity and vulnerability of karsticsites.

● The establishment of effective and multidisciplinary ma-nagement of CSIS (Caves of Scientific Interest, a speci-fic protection status dedicated to Walloon caves), as ini-tially planned, including the promotion of research,systematic monitoring and integration of local cavers wi-thin the management teams.

● The proposal of a protection mode for caves, not beingsystematically accompanied by gating and denial of ac-cess;

● The gradual bridging of the lack of data on undergroundecosystems through specific studies, accompanied by acontinuous monitoring in order to characterize under-ground habitats

Some Key Actions in favour of KarstBased on CWEPSS’ campaigns and actions carried out over the last 40 years, a set of recommendationsand best practices regarding the karstic areas management is detailed below, grouped according to type ofactivity or risk.

Topography of the destroyed parts of the Hotton Cave due to the progressionof the quarry between 1971 and 1986.

On a vault of the cave, important development of “Lampflora” vegetation inwthe most illuminated areas of the Remouchamps Shocave (mosses, algaeand ferns).



Pollution and contaminated Sites in KarsticAreas● To keep up-to-date the pollution inventories within karstic

areas (Pollukarst).● To maintain the good condition of cleaned-up sites; even

small amounts of rubbish (dumped at the roadside forexample) invariably lead to futher illegal dumping.

● To stop direct pollutant discharges into sink points withinkarstic areas (mainly sewers and drains from majorroads).

● To give priority to waste water treatment in karstic areas,taking into consideration the drinking water catchment.

● To select the sites to be rehabilitated as a priority, depen-ding on the pollution impact on the (upstream or downs-tream) environment.

● To include the cleaning up of the karst phenomena in"clean rivers" operations, coordinated by the “rivercontracts” with the help of the population (strong educatio-nal impact)

Sensibilisation & Information ● To extend the "karstic weeks" initiatives, with the creation

of karst discovery modules adapted to the municipalitieslocated in limestone areas.

● To continue spreading information and raising awarenessconcerning karst with local authorities (particularly the"Plan Communal de Développement de la Nature").

● To create karst discovery trails (with maps and descrip-tion), allowing people to visit the area on their own. These"Karstoguides" could be distributed through tourist officesand any local structure promoting ecotourism, leading to abetter understanding of landscape and geology.

● To increase the scientific and educational level of the visitsand explanations given during show cave tours. Upgradingdiscourse, with the help of scientists and specialists, glo-bally improves the understanding of karst-linked issues.

Protection of Minerals and Speleothems●To prohibit any trade, sale or barter of spe-

leothems. This flourishing market (espe-cially in mineral fairs ) increases the risk oflooting minerals in cave and quarries.

● In ornamented and concretion-rich galle-ries, to delineate paths with adequate mar-king, not only to protect the crystallisations,but also the clay formations and differenttypes of filling.

● To favour prevention to curative solutions:cleaning operations can restore sitescontaminated by overcrowding , but aredifficult and expensive methods comparedto a suitable initial protection.

Path in the Nou Bleu cave delimitated by a markup to protect the speleothems (photo G. Rochez).

School activities illustrating the path followed by water in the basement.

The former quarry of Sources Castle (Onhaye) was used as a municipaldump ... it illegal dumping of waste continues in 2011.



Groundwater Studies and Understanding● To accelerate the designation of protection zones in calca-

reous groundwater catchments areas.● To promote collective water treatment in sensitive limes-

tone areas (rather than individual treatment).● To continue and expand long-term monitoring of certain im-

portant resurgences in Wallonia

● To better understand and measure the karstic sites impacton the quality and vulnerability of groundwater aquifers (di-rect links between surface / groundwater).

● To monitor and maintain the water pipes network, their lea-kage being one of the main causes of sag risks.

● To protect in the most effective way the karstic aquifers, ta-king into account the specifi nature of their recharge

● To adopt a sustainable and lasting strategy for groundwa-ter exploitation, which must be qualitatively and quantitati-vely sound even in the long term.

● To intensify contacts and agreements between neighbou-ring local, regional or even cross-border entities, in order tomanage the groundwater resources at the scale of aquifersand their recharge zone.

Bat Protection● To continue the bat population survey in order to unders-

tand its dynamics and confirm the slight increase observedin recent years. Their protection should not only focus onunderground sites, but on all important natural and artificialhabitats for the conservation of these mammals.

● To enhance the use of new detection techniques to assessthe passages between the caves and the outside in orderto gain insights into the underground sites importance forbat conservation and ethological information.

● Bat protectors should keep other subterranean stakehol-ders better informed of the aim of their studies in order tojustify some gating and access restrictions.

● To more systematically include cavers in the bat populationsurvey and monitoring initiatives (as is now the case in agrowing number of sites).

Land-use Development● To enforce the requirements of flood

zones and constraint zones when issuingland-use planning permits. To prohibit fil-ling cave entrances or sinkholes withoutexplicit license.

● To update mapping of karst constraintareas, taking into account the karst dyna-mics and newly discovered sites (periodicupdates).

● To pursue the continuous updating of the“Atlas du Karst Wallon”, to promote itsdissemination and a more systematic usewhen granting land-use permits.

Review of physical stress areas (karst and floods) including recent observations in the Hazienne Valley(Olne) - CWEPSS, 2012.

Sewer pipe flowing just meters from Xhendelesse swallowhole, in a privateproperty (photo F. Polrot, 2014).

Plecotus oritus in flight in the Picot cave (photo G. Deflandre).



Groundwater Biodiversity and Conservation● To enforce the recommendations for groundwater biodiver-

sity conservation formulated after the European study Pas-calis (2001-2004), in order to contribute effectively to abetter understanding and protection of this specific biodi-versity.

● To integrate the groundwater ecosystems and biodiversityconservation in the different European legislations and po-licies.

● To establish a list of priority species and habitats forconservation at European, national and regional levels.

● To develop and maintain an European network of ground-water nature reserves.

● To introduce biodiversity concern and “good ecological sta-tus” of groundwater in the Water Framework Directive, asis the case for surface water..

● To increase scientific knowledge of the groundwater eco-systems, biodiversity nature and distribution, and the eco-functional services (self-purification ) it provides

.Niphargus schellenbergi. This amphipod is fairly

widely distributed in Europe (photo F. Fiers).

Perspectives and RecommandationsA delicate equilibriumThe underground environment is oftendescribed as stable, without seasonalor daily variations and unchanging phy-sical conditions. Yet, far from being iso-lated, this ecosystem is in continuousinteraction with the outside. Any majorchange in the exchanges between sur-face, soil and underground, can upsetthis balance and modify a cave envi-ronment, sometimes irreversibly.

A wide range of human actors, withmultiple objectives, sometimes antithe-tic (cavers, scientists, quarry operators,tourism managers, conservationists...), can have a more or less direct inci-dence on the "health" of a grotto.

Other activities with more diffuse in-fluence should not be neglected; whenapplied at the scale of catchmentareas, they can induce significant cu-mulative effects.

These diffuse impacts are difficult toquantify and to control. Therefore,conservation policies are often limitedto local very restrictive measures, suchas forbidding any access. The sustai-nable management of karst areasshould however include recommenda-tions in terms of land management,good agricultural practices, sewagewater purification or soil waterproofing .The Natura 2000 network or the Geo-park projects covering vast territoriesmight contribute to the achievement ofsuch integrated management.

Managing karst at differentscalesThe karstic environment operates as aseries of nested levels, from the smal-lest filling materials to a wide ground-water basin. Protecting one feature ina cave, a species or even a waterpool,iinvolves a knowledge and respect ofthe balances, exchanges and interac-tions between these different levels.

The "underground world" is not limitedto caves accessible to man: a vast net-work of cracks extends from the sur-face to the aquifers. The limestonelandscapes include surface pheno-mena (sinkholes, collapses, resur-gences, paleokarsts...), connecting di-rectly the underground network withthe surface and with potentially harmfulactivities outside.

Human and Karst interactionsThe inherent vulnerability of karst re-quires appropriate protective measuresto limit the possible impact of humanactivities. In return, karst can induce aseries of constraints on man and urba-nization, including the threats posed bythe karst dynamics on land-use. Tostudy this two-way relationship, map-ping associated with a regular updateof the karstic sites survey allows thedefinition of "preventive" strategies (in-formation, awareness, setting protec-tion status...) or "curative" measures(cleaning and remediation activities).

The karst system represented as rushian dolls

karstic void developed on a geological breakand containing clay filling.


Hydrogeological studies show how difficult it is to model akarstic aquifer or environment. Each karstic system is sha-ped by individual variables, that only field surveys, appro-priate testing and follow-up time can takle. The same dataare needed when it comes to defining the protection mea-sures for the most remarkable cavities.

The "good management practices" must also be accompa-nied by monitoring, in order to evaluate and eventually adjustthe protocols, according to the "reactions" of the cavity to itsmanagement plan.

Upcoming ActionsBased on its karst comprehensive survey, its contacts amongcavers, scientists, private actors or public authorities, and its ex-perience accumulated over 40 years, the CWEPSS wishes tocontinue promoting interaction between stakeholders, withthe vision of a multidisciplinary management for karstic areasand caves. To fulfill this goal, the CWEPSS will develop the fol-lowing missions in the future:

● To work at the visibility of this widely unknown environ-ment. Mentalities, socio-economic context and issues haveevolved since the 1970’s, but the motto is still valid. New me-dia and technology tools (video, web, WebGIS...) allow thepresentation of the karst to a wider public, particularly by (vir-tually) opening up sites otherwise too fragile or too difficult toaccess.

● To update karstic data to highlight the rapid evolution of kars-tic landscape and sites. Powerful tools exist to valorize thefield data and accurately document the sites.

● To contribute to the recognition of the key-role played bycavers and "field partners" in the discovery, study and protec-tion of karst. In a context of economical crisis, in which envi-ronmental concerns often take second place, and being awareof the limited public resources, the CWEPSS supports a prag-matic vision that seeks a partial transfer of the karst manage-ment to its local stakeholders (in particular, speleologists).

● To facilitate synergies among researchers and local asso-ciations. Making the most of the specific skills of the variousstakeholders and promoting the exchange of practices, in or-der to propose management methods most suited to sustaina-bly protect karstic features.

Synthetic diagram showing the different actors and some of the interractions governing the right balance of the underground environment thatshould be taken into account to define the priorities and means of action for the protection of the karst environment.

Goscinny vision of Human - Karst relation

CWEPSS White Paper - September 2015Karst Management & Protection 8


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