health
February 11, 2026
‘The normal should be darkness’: why one Belgian national park is turning off ‘pointless’ streetlights
The radical project is an attempt to preserve wildlife in one of Europe’s most light-polluted countries, but can they persuade local people they will still feel safe?
TL;DR
- Belgium is one of Europe's most light-polluted countries, with minimal visibility of the Milky Way.
- A project in the Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse national park will remove 75 'pointless' streetlights.
- The primary motivation for removing lights is to protect nature, as artificial light disrupts feeding, reproduction, and navigation of species like insects, birds, and amphibians.
- Local residents have voiced concerns about safety and the feeling of security provided by streetlights.
- Research on the impact of reduced street lighting on crime and road collisions shows inconclusive or mixed results.
- The national park has allocated €308,000 for this initiative, viewing restored night-time darkness as beneficial for nature.
- Experts consider light pollution a significant pressure on nature, comparable to habitat loss or chemical pollution.
- This initiative is part of a larger global trend to reduce artificial light at night.
- The project also involves retrofitting old electricity pylons to support the comeback of white storks, a measure that is unanimously appreciated.
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