Living Lakes Network

The Living Lakes Network is an international partnership of more than 130 mostly civil society member organizations working to protect and restore lakes and wetlands in more than 60 countries. For over 25 years, the network has been working with non-governmental organizations (NGOs, CBOs), governments, indigenous peoples and local communities to conserve threatened habitats, secure sustainable livelihoods and implement concrete projects. The involvement of young people and environmental education measures for the benefit of lakes and wetlands have very often played an important role in this.

Living Lakes was founded in 1998 by the international environmental foundation Global Nature Fund (GNF). During this period, the Global Nature Fund has mobilized over 25 million euros from public and private sources to support the implementation of practice-oriented projects that link indigenous and local communities with environmental protection and nature conservation. The international network promotes the protection, restoration and sustainable use of lakes and wetlands – for example in northern Mongolia or in the highlands of Guatemala. Local people, often vulnerable population groups, are always at the center of the measures. The Living Lakes Secretariat in Radolfzell on Lake Constance organizes various measures for knowledge and technology transfer as well as international conferences and webinars.

The largest current project is the Living Lakes Biodiversity and Climate Project (LLBCP). Together with twelve partner organizations, GNF is implementing water and biodiversity protection measures in ten countries at a total of 13 lakes and wetlands: from the development of sustainable fishing and agriculture in and around the lakes to reforestation and the restoration of important ecosystem functions to the establishment of management plans.

Project website