T.OP Dender, the Territorial Development Programme for the Dender region, is a collaboration between the Flemish government, the Province of East Flanders, and local authorities. The programme focuses on the sustainable development of the Dender Valley, with attention to water safety, climate adaptation, livability, the economy, and open spaces. Through joint vision-building and concrete leverage projects — such as “Space for Water” and “Green-Blue Dender Slopes” — T.OP Dender works towards a climate-resilient and future-oriented region. Local knowledge and supra-local resources are combined in a strong partnership that enables actions on the ground. This video shows how cross-boundary collaboration makes a difference for people, landscape, and climate in the Dender region.

Concrete initiatives within T.OP Dender

1. Space for Water – Dender Valley

Objective: strengthening water safety and climate adaptation.

  • It focuses on redesigning the Dender Valley so that the river can overflow in controlled areas.

  • It combines technical interventions (e.g., dikes, buffer zones) with ecological measures (such as wetland habitats and floodplain grasslands).

  • At the same time, it creates new recreational opportunities and ecological corridors.

  • Fits within the broader Flemish ambition for a climate-resilient water system.

2. Green-Blue Dender Slopes

Objective:to strengthen the landscape, nature, and water structures.

  • It focuses on the area around the Vondelbeek (Dendermonde, Lebbeke, Opwijk, Buggenhout).

  • It aims to create a green-blue network that combines water retention, nature development, agriculture, and recreation.

  • It serves as a pilot project to demonstrate how different policy domains can collaborate within a single integrated design.

  • The focus is on nature-inclusive land use, so that water, green spaces, and human activities reinforce each other.

4. The day of Dender

Objective: knowledge sharing and network building.

  • An annual or regularly organised inspiration day for local authorities, organisations, designers, and residents.

  • Central theme: cross-boundary collaboration for a resilient and attractive landscape.

  • Includes excursions, workshops, and testimonies from partners.

  • It stimulates regional ownership and new collaborations between local actors.