EUROLakes
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Nature based solutions
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Rivers and Lakes
We are coordinating the EUROLakes project, which proposes an innovative, holistic, and science-based approach to safeguarding and restoring European natural lakes and their ecosystems.
Human activity is causing numerous pressures negatively impacting the good ecological status of European lakes, including excess abstraction, pollutants, eutrophication, and other pressures. While climate change is exacerbating these stresses, healthy lake ecosystems can help strengthen resilience to climate shocks for people and nature.
Unfortunately, management and restoration efforts in lakes often use a fragmented approach that does not consider the wider basin landscape. This impacts on both land and water, and the wider set of stakeholders who depend on lakes. Restoration projects are often small-scale, short-term, and sectoral, with disengaged communities, leading to what the 4 Returns Framework for landscape restoration (4RF) has identified as “the 4 losses”: loss of purpose or hope, loss of employment and security, loss in biodiversity, soil and water, and loss of economic activity.
The 4 Returns Framework for landscape restoration
EUROLakes project, kicked-off in September 2024, addresses these challenges by proposing an innovative, holistic, and science-based approach. The project is built on the 4RF, seeking sustainable, long-term solutions at the landscape level, aiming to achieve 4 Returns (inspiration, social, natural, and financial returns) through 5 elements: landscape partnership, shared understanding, landscape vision and collaborative planning, taking action, and monitoring and learning.
The project includes with local communities to develop integrated protection and restoration strategies, focusing on nature-based solutions and sustainable financing opportunities in three sites: Lake Vico in Italy, Lake Bistreț in Romania, and Lake Dümmer in Germany, and support replication and scaling-up in other regions.
To learn more about the project and its progress, visit EUROLakes LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram pages.