Scheldt Youth Parliament Join

One river brings us together

We are young people from France, Belgium and the Netherlands, aged 16 to 26. The Scheldt connects our countries, and it is under pressure. So we walk it, study it and write recommendations for the people who decide. It is serious and fun: a river walk, a campfire, an evening with a deputy mayor. In Dutch we are the Schelde Jongeren Parlement, in French the Parlement des Jeunes de l'Escaut.

A close-up group selfie of about a dozen smiling young people outdoors

Come for the river, stay for the friends

Since 2008 we have met in the Belgian Senate, by the water in Zeeland, on a boat in Antwerp and even in Zagreb. Every group is new, and many of us stay friends long after.

The timeline since 2008

Nine nationalities, one team

The last group came from nine countries and lived in France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Different languages, backgrounds and ages, from 16 to 26, working in mixed groups in English. That mix is our strength: a flood looks different from Valenciennes than from Zeeland, and the best ideas come when you hear both sides.

A large group of young people waving together in front of a big bronze bell in Ghent
Ghent, 2022, during the exchange with the Sava Youth Parliament

Our aim: give young people a real voice in the future of one river.

One river, three countries

The Scheldt rises in France, crosses Belgium and reaches the sea in the Netherlands. A decision upstream is felt downstream. So the three countries and their regions work together on it in the International Scheldt Commission. Its water is still not clean enough: too many nutrients and harmful substances from homes, farms and industry.

Meet the Scheldt

A seat at the table

Picture a room full of people who manage the Scheldt, from three countries. Since 2012 there has been a chair for young people in that room, as observers. In June 2026, in Tournai, we took our recommendations there, and Mathieu represented young people throughout the session.

Where it led

What starts on the Scheldt doesn't stop there.

A fund for water projects

Members of the Scheldt Youth Parliament and the World Youth Parliament for Water set up Young Water Solutions. It funds water and sanitation projects run by young people around the world, from repaired water pumps in Burkina Faso to solar irrigation in Bangladesh.

A voice at world level

Bart Devos chaired the World Youth Parliament for Water from 2012 to 2015. Anna Kalaschova became vice-chair of the European Youth Parliament for Water in 2013.

Read how Bart started

A parliament on another river

In 2015 we travelled along the Sebou in Morocco. The young people we met there set up a youth assembly of their own, officially founded in 2016.

How it works

No fee, no test and no grades. Online sessions, brainstorm weekends (we arrange your travel, a bed and your meals), your own research project and shared recommendations.

How it works, step by step

Brought to you by

GoodPlanet Belgium started the Scheldt Youth Parliament with the Agence de l'Eau Artois-Picardie and has run it ever since. HZ University of Applied Sciences is our scientific partner. Funding comes from the Agence de l'Eau Artois-Picardie and, for 2024 to 2026, from Erasmus+.

  • HZ University of Applied Sciences
  • Agence de l'Eau Artois-Picardie
  • Co-funded by the European Union

All partners

Want to make waves?

  • Be heard
  • Make friends
  • Learn by doing
  • Have a good time
Join us

For anyone aged 16 to 26 living in France, Belgium or the Netherlands