Living Lakes – The international Network

The main purpose of this international initiative is the conservation and protection of natural resources, chiefly the drinking water reservoirs of the earth. UN investigations say that today about 2.2 billion people suffer from water shortages or bad water quality.

Overview about all Lakes and Wetlands of the Living Lakes Network

The Living Lakes Network – Saving the Lakes and Wetlands of the World

Living Lakes strives for effective protection of water in the most important lake areas around the world - A world-wide future-oriented initiative! At the moment, 113 members belong to the network. Further information about each lake or wetland you find under the lists for each continent.

Our Mission

Living Lakes is an international network and partnership whose mission is to enhance the protection, restoration and rehabilitation of lakes, wetlands, other freshwater bodies of the world and their catchment areas.

Our Vision

All lakes, wetlands and freshwater bodies of the world should be healthy ecosystems and where they are used by human kind that use should be sustainable and not damaging to the environment.

Objectives

• Conserving the biodiversity and the preservation of fresh water resources, lakes and wetland ecosystems.
• Restoring altered and disappearing wetlands and lake ecosystems. 
• Improving the quality of life for the local communities (Agenda 21).
• Building a commitment towards a sustainable use and development of these ecosystems (for example, through agriculture, fishery, tourism, settlement and water use).
• Promoting the use of applied sciences and technologies towards the conservation of these ecosystems.
• Supporting educational programs and cooperation with local communities towards the conservation of the biodiversity of these ecosystems.
• Disseminating information relevant to these ecosystems.

Success

Distinction as “Official Project of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development 2005 – 2014”

In November 2013, the project “Living Lakes” has received for the fifth time the distinction as official UN Decade Project for the year 2014. The first distinction occured for the years 2006 and 2007.