Walloon Region

The Walloon Region of Belgium faces an unprecedented biodiversity crisis, with all 33 assessed species classified as critically endangered according to the IUCN Red List 2025. This southern Belgian region encompasses diverse ecosystems including the Ardennes forests, Meuse and Sambre river valleys, and remnant heathlands that historically supported rich fauna. The complete absence of non-threatened species among assessed taxa—spanning birds, insects, arachnids, and other invertebrates—indicates severe ecosystem degradation across the region's landscapes. Wallonia's biodiversity decline stems from intensive agricultural practices in the fertile Hesbaye plateau, urban sprawl around major cities like Liège and Charleroi, and fragmentation of the Ardennes forest corridors. Industrial legacy pollution, particularly in former coal mining areas and along major waterways, continues impacting soil and water quality. Climate change exacerbates these pressures, affecting montane species in the Hautes Fagnes plateau and altering precipitation patterns crucial for wetland ecosystems. The region's position as a transition zone between Atlantic and continental climates historically created unique habitat mosaics supporting specialized species assemblages. However, this same geographic position now makes Wallonian ecosystems particularly vulnerable to shifting climate patterns, while intensive land use has eliminated critical habitat connectivity between protected areas in the Ardennes and northern European forest networks.

Source: IUCN Red List 2025-2, GBIF, national survey data