1. GLOBAL ISSUES IN
BELGUIM
Identifying and discussing these
issues

2. Global issues in Belgium include;
 Globalisation
 Human rights and women rights
 Economic growth
 Political issues
 Poverty
 Natural resource conflicts
 Environmental issues
 Culture
 Global recession
 Population growth
 Global warming and climate change
 Natural Disasters
 Immigration

3. Globalisation
• Globalisation refers to the radical change of the
world into a global economic village where there
is a more economic activity and better
relationship between countries.
• Globalisation has led to an increase in
international trade activities in Belgium.
• Globalisation is a necessary evil as it has good
and bad effects in a country .
• Globalisation thus should be regulated rather
than combated by playing a role in it.

4. Human rights and women rights
• Although Belgium respects human rights the were complaints
about; prisons being overcrowded, unrealistic pre-trial detention,
unfavourable detention conditions, abusing children ,trafficking of
persons, violence against women and discrimination of persons in
job employment.
• The government has however tried to counter these problems by
crating more prisons and improving on trial process.
• Women rights are highly infringed in Belgium which record high
numbers of rape and domestic violence against women. Rape in
this country also includes spousal rape where women are raped by
their partners, there is a high level of domestic violence where
women are violated by their husbands.
• Statistics in 2007 showed that cases of rape were 2,933 and that
there was one case of domestic violence among five women.

5. Economic growth
• Belgium has shown a positive growth in the past
years after the global financial crisis that resulted
to an increase in national debt almost up to
100% of the GDP.
• According to previous statistics the GDP for the
year 2011 amounted to approximately $467
billion.
• The annual growth rate is estimated to 2.5% this
increases on the per capital income thus an
increase in the individual standards of living.

6. Belgium GDP growth rate

7. Political issues
• Belgium is a federal state that constituting different
regions.
• Belgium has suffered cases of political instability due to
major ethnicity difference between Dutch-speaking
Flanders and Francophone Wallonia which has
constantly lead to division of the Belgium economy.
• In the 18th and 19th century the Industrialists
Francophone Wallonia were economically and
politically dominant over the Dutch- speaking Flanders
who were agricultural oriented
• Political conflicts have led to a sluggish growth of the
Belgium economy.

8. Poverty and Wealth
• Belgium as other developed economies enjoy a higher
portion of par capital income and high living standards.
It is ranked amongst the world best in human
development with statistics showing a per capital
income of $28,790 in a report dated 2000 making it the
7th best in world in that year.
• The main problems in this country is wealth disparity
with two extremes very wealthy and very poor.
• There is need for programs that regulate the wealth
distribution in the country so as to minimise this
wealth disparity.

9. Natural resources conflict
• Natural resource conflict has been experience in
Belgium as a result of immigration in the country.
There is decline in coal mining which was dominated
by the Francophone Wallonia while the Dutch-
speaking Flanders were involved in agricultural
production.
• The decline in coal production meant that there will a
conflict economically as the agricultural activities of
the Francophone flourished. The changes in the
economy’s lead to conflict and immigration lead to an
increased pressure to these resource conflicts.

10. The initial Belgian territories

11. Unemployment
• Belgium has a low unemployment rate but in
the recent years it has been increasing
catching the attention of the government.
• The unemployment rate in 2010 has raised to
8.3% compared to 7.9% in the previous year.
• The increase in unemployment rate is a strain
the budget as the government has to allocate
more funds for unemployment benefits.

12. Environmental Pollution
• Environment pollution is another problem associated to Belgium as
different forms of pollution are experienced such as water, air an air
pollution.
• Air pollution is as a result of nuclear radiation and carbon dioxide
from industry and pesticides used in agriculture industry. This
results into acid rain that even affects neighbouring countries.
• Water pollution is as a result of heavy metals (mercury and
phosphorus) caused by industrial effluents into rivers and canals
which is dangerous to individuals health.
• Land pollution is caused by industrial waste and also chemicals used
in agricultural activities.
 The Belgium government has come up with policies and strategies
to eliminate environmental pollution in the country.

13. Global recession
• Belgium is a member of the European Economic
and monetary union making it vulnerable to the
global financial crisis.
• The global financial crisis had an adverse effect
on the banking sector as Belgium became the
first government to be hit directly by the global
financial crisis. There was a collapsing of banks as
Fortis became bankruptcy.
• Due to the global financial crisis the govern
meant has been struggling with an increased
national debt and a shrinking economy.

14. Population Growth
• The current population growth rate for
Belgium is -0.04% meaning that there is more
mortality rate than the birth rate in the
country.
• The result of this negative growth rate in this
country is that there is an aging population in
this country. An aging population means that
there is little new labour in the labour market.

15. International trade
• Belgium economy is inclined to trade activities with the rest of the
European Union members. The global economic depression that hit
Belgium directly reduced the volume of trade amongst the
European countries.
• It is until the recovery of the world economy that the international
trade activities have grown upwards. The Belgian economy is an
open economy with few trade restrictions and is a an export
oriented economy. It is the centre of distribution of goods to other
EU economies.
• International trade supports the Belgium economy by earning it
revenues.

16. Global warming and climate change
• Climate change is caused by increased use of fossil
fuels and this poses a great threat to human life.
• The use of this fossil fuels have been attributed to
emission of greenhouse gases that causes global
warming.
• Global warming causes adverse harm such as increased
solar radiation increase precipitation and other effects.
• Although the effect of global warming are associated
with poor and developing countries some effects such
as acid rain can be seen in the European Economies.

17. Natural Disasters
• The are minimal natural disasters occurrence in
the country. The main natural disasters
experienced is flooding of rivers and reclaimed
costal lands.
• Flooding however is estimated to have cause a
lot damage to property with amount estimated at
from 1990 to 2006
• To ensure that property loss is compensated the
government has instructed insurance companies
to include flood insurance in all fire insurance
policies.

18. Immigration
• During the 1930 century before the second world war the
government had restricted immigration but after the war
there was need for more labour in the coal mines and the
domestic labour had already been exhausted thus the
government opted for foreign labour.
• Through time there have been more immigrants settling in
the country thus bringing different cultures in the country.
• Today Belgium is home to very many immigrants and this
can be identified as the source of political instability in the
country.
• Immigration in the country hinders it to become one
national government as the different ethnic groups.

19. Country of origin of immigrants

20. Foreign Population as a Share of the
Total Population in Belgian Regions
and Cities, 2004