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  • Europe’s waters have a new friend: NGOs found ELLA to protect lakes and wetlands

Europe’s waters have a new friend: NGOs found ELLA to protect lakes and wetlands

6. May 2022

One of thousands of equally unique
as waters worthy of protection in Europe:
the Estonian Lake Peipsi.
Photo: © Udo Gattenlöhner

Lakes and wetlands are the most endangered habitats in Europe. Everywhere between Doñana National Park in southern Spain and Lake Peipsi in eastern Estonia, climate change is accelerating the severe impacts of overexploitation, overexploitation, degradation and pollution. On May 4, eight environmental NGOs from Germany, Estonia, Poland, Spain and Hungary therefore founded a new strong advocate for the protection and sustainable use and development of lakes and wetlands in Europe: the European Living Lakes Association, or “ELLA” for short.

Radolfzell, 06.05.2022: The European Living Lakes Association (ELLA), founded by eight environmental organizations (the Global Nature Fund, the Lake Constance Foundation and Deutsche Umwelthilfe from Germany, Peipsi CTC from Estonia, the Ecological Society ETNA from Poland, Fundación Global Nature from Spain as well as LBDCA and the Association of Civil Society Organizations Lake Balaton from Hungary), aims to give the protection of lakes and wetlands a competent and assertive voice in Europe.

Figures from the European Environment Agency show just how much this voice is needed: In the period up to 2015, only around 40 percent of European surface waters (rivers, lakes, transitional and coastal waters) had a good or very good ecological status. The remaining 60 percent require increased protection or even restoration measures in order to meet the requirements of the European Water Framework Directive.

ELLA’s claim: Healthy aquatic ecosystems in Europe

The ELLA association has set itself a number of goals to improve the situation of European waters:

  • Raising awareness for the protection of lakes and wetlands, their biodiversity and other features and functions in Europe
  • Implementation of demonstration and model projects for habitat restoration
  • Statements and position papers on improving the political and legal framework for the protection of aquatic ecosystems
  • Promotion of exchange and cooperation between different interest groups in lake regions
  • Promotion of scientific cooperation and the development and public dissemination of knowledge on lake and wetland protection

“ELLA will give new momentum to the important issue of lake and wetland protection in Europe,” says Udo Gattenlöhner, Managing Director of the Global Nature Fund (GNF) and German representative on the new ELLA Board. “We want to promote the exchange between NGOs that campaign for wetlands in Europe and raise our voice for an effective legal framework in the EU.”

ELLA’s advantage: Many years of experience, coordinated in the heart of the continent

The European Living Lakes Association is based on more than 20 years of close cooperation between the European partners of the global Living Lakes Network, which is coordinated by the GNF. The official establishment of a legal entity based in Europe is a response to the experience gained through this partnership. “To be better heard in Europe, you have to be a legally registered organization in one of the member states,” emphasizes Udo Gattenlöhner.

ELLA will be based at Lake Constance – one of the largest freshwater lakes in Central Europe and the birthplace of the Living Lakes Network, which was established here in 1998. ELLA and its members will continue to be active in Living Lakes, promoting exchange and cooperation between wetland conservation initiatives in Europe and other regions of the world.

Find out more about the European Living Lakes Association (ELLA)

Contact us

Global Nature Fund (GNF)
International Foundation for Environment and Nature
Dr. Thomas Schaefer
Head of Nature Conservation & Living Lakes
Fritz-Reichle-Ring 4
78315 Radolfzell
+49 7732 9995 89
schaefer@globalnature.org
www.globalnature.org

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