A global assessment of lake restoration in practice: New insights and future perspectives

A global survey of 179 restoration case-studies spanning 66 countries identified extent of stakeholder engagement was identified as a key factor determining the success or failure of restoration projects. Support across sectors, funding, policy support, monitoring, governance and understanding of pressures and their effects were most frequently cited as factors contributing to restoration failure. The responses indicate that, although nutrient enrichment remains the primary issue in lakes globally, the impacts of climate change, hydrological modifications and invasive species are pervasive anthropogenic pressures of global importance. The ecosystem services most impacted by these pressures were recreation and tourism, followed by conservation and biodiversity. Ecology-based and/or pressure-related restoration targets have been set for most restoration programs in our survey. However, the strength of the evidence underpinning these targets was often weak and the effects of climate change were rarely taken into account in target setting. The most effective and widely used restoration measures target nutrient loading (both from catchment and in-lake) while hydrological modifications and the implementation of nature-based solutions are used to a lesser extent. Measures for the control of non-native invasive species are rarely applied and are viewed as being ineffective.

POIKANE Sandra;  KELLY Martyn;  FREE Gary;  CARVALHO Laurence;  HAMILTON David P.;  KATSANOU Konstantina;  LURLING Miguel;  WARNER Stuart;  SPEARS Bryan M.;  IRVINE K.; 

2023-12-07

ELSEVIER

JRC132897

1470-160X (online),   

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X23014723,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC132897,   

10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.111330 (online),