The restoration of lakes and wetlands as a priority in Europe – Article 4 and Article 9.4 Nature Restoration Law
The European Living Lakes Association is calling for a strong Nature Restoration Act that provides for restoration measures to cover all ecosystems by 2050. A strong law that restores degraded wetlands, reverses the decline of pollinators and improves the biodiversity of agricultural and forest ecosystems. This law is key to creating healthy wetlands, which are crucial for meeting European and international commitments under the European Green Deal, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the Paris Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity. All stakeholders must significantly step up their efforts to ensure that lakes, wetlands, peatlands and other surface waters in moderate, poor or bad ecological status can be successfully restored. In order to plan and implement such measures, challenges such as eutrophication, acidification, pollution, water abstraction and hydrological and morphological changes must be tackled immediately and more efficiently.
Situation of European lakes and wetlands
The loss of lakes and wetlands in Europe is a major environmental problem with far-reaching impacts on ecosystems, biodiversity, water resources and humans. Over the years, the condition of many lakes and wetlands in Europe has deteriorated and many have disappeared due to urbanization, agriculture, drainage, pollution and, more recently, climate change. Between 75 % (Netherlands) and 90 % (e.g. Ireland) of the wetlands in the EU Member States have been lost. Of the wetland area that was converted to other land uses between 1990 and 2000, 2 % was artificially created (e.g. urban areas), 7 % became agricultural land, 12 % became water bodies and 79 % became forests and semi-natural areas (EEA, 2009). The EU Habitats Directive has not changed this trend. Wetlands continue to be exploited and converted in the EU Member States.
Less than 50% of water bodies in the EU are in good ecological status. The last three assessments carried out by all EU Member States in 2009, 2015 and 2021 did not show sufficient improvements to achieve the Water Framework Directive’s objective of good ecological status for all EU water bodies. Achieving this target by the next assessment in 2027 will be a major challenge, as the measures taken so far are not sufficiently effective.
Key aspects of the loss of lakes and wetlands in Europe with significant impacts on humans and nature:
Habitat loss and decline in biodiversity: Lakes and wetlands are among the most species-rich ecosystems on earth and are home to a large number of plant and animal species. The loss or deterioration of these habitats leads to a corresponding decline in biodiversity. The loss of lakes and wetlands leads to the disappearance of unique and specialized species, including endemic and migratory species, disrupting the ecological balance and reducing the overall resilience of ecosystems. The serious consequences of biodiversity loss for pollination in agriculture and other ecosystem services are now well known.
Water quantity and quality issues: Lakes and wetlands play a crucial role in regulating water quantity and quality as well as in agricultural irrigation and groundwater restoration. They act as natural reservoirs that store and release water during dry and rainy periods. The loss of these ecosystems is already contributing to water scarcity in certain regions and exacerbating flooding in others. In addition, the absence of wetlands can lead to reduced water filtration, purification and nutrient cycling, resulting in a deterioration of water quality, a lowering of the water table, reduced availability of drinking water and the loss of other important ecosystem services.
Impacts of climate change: Lakes and wetlands are vulnerable to climate change as rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns and sea level rise affect their hydrology and ecological dynamics. The effects of climate change, such as increasing droughts, forest fires and extreme weather events, can further accelerate the loss and degradation of these ecosystems. In addition, the destruction of wetlands releases stored carbon dioxide, which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and exacerbates climate change.
Expansion of agriculture and drainage: The expansion of agriculture has led to the drainage and conversion of wetlands for cultivation purposes. Drainage measures aimed at reclaiming land for agricultural use disrupt the natural water balance of wetlands and lead to the loss of water-dependent habitats and the associated biodiversity. Unsustainable agricultural practices, such as the excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides, can also lead to water pollution and further damage these ecosystems. The lack of wetlands is already having a major impact on the water retention potential of landscapes and is leading to water shortages and droughts in many EU countries.
Urbanization and infrastructure development: Rapid urbanization and infrastructure development have led to the loss of lakes and wetlands, mainly through land conversion and fragmentation. Urban areas and infrastructure projects such as roads, buildings and dams interfere with these ecosystems and change their natural functions and interrelationships. Fragmentation disrupts migration pathways and isolates animal populations, leading to reduced genetic diversity and increased susceptibility to environmental change and stochastic extinction processes.
Pollution and contamination: Lakes and wetlands remain vulnerable to pollution from a variety of sources, including industrial activities, agriculture and urban runoff. Nutrient inputs such as excessive nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizers can lead to eutrophication and cause harmful algal blooms and oxygen deficiency in water bodies. Chemical pollutants, including heavy metals and pesticides, can accumulate in these ecosystems and pose a risk to aquatic organisms and human health.
The importance of European lakes and wetlands for economic development
Wetland restoration is therefore a necessary investment to improve food security and to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change. Member States may be given some flexibility within the framework of jointly agreed ambitious recovery targets. As a prerequisite, Member States must ensure that the deterioration of wetlands is halted at EU level and beyond.
There is a growing awareness in the business community of the importance of biodiversity and the associated ecosystem services as a basis for economic activities and of the trade-offs involved in reducing negative impacts. More than 100 of Europe’s largest companies from the food, finance and energy sectors, including Nestlé, Unilever, SPAR and Iberdrola, support the EU Nature Restoration Act. Restoring nature is not a burden for farmers, fishermen or the development of renewable energies. The opposite is true: the EU Nature Conservation Act safeguards farmers’ livelihoods and the environment by improving soil health, restoring the water cycle and increasing biodiversity.
Healthy wetlands and grasslands offer enormous potential to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and at the same time serve as carbon sinks. By improving water cycles and water quality and preventing flooding or water scarcity, they also offer the potential for more habitats with greater biodiversity. The restoration of wetlands will also increase the population’s resilience to increasing threats (floods, droughts, fires, etc.).
The ELLA member organizations as well as the members of the International Living Lakes Network are ready to discuss our demands and further contribute to the drafting of the final EU Nature Restoration Act.
Signed by the member organizations of the European Living Lakes Association ELLA e.V.
- Global Nature Fund, Germany
- Fundación Global Nature, Spain
- Lake Constance Foundation, Germany
- Lake Balaton Development Coordination Agency, Hungary
- German Environmental Aid, Germany
- Peipsi Center for Transboundary Cooperation, Estonia
- Association of Civil Organizations of Lake Balaton, Hungary
- ETNA Ecological Society, Poland
Contact:
ELLA e.V. Office
Dr. Thomas Schaefer
Global Nature Fund
schaefer@globalnature.org
The European Living Lakes Association (ELLA) is a non-profit foundation dedicated to the protection of lakes and wetlands. ELLA is part of the international Living Lakes Network, which includes 112 lakes around the world represented by 135 organizations (as of June 2023).
ELLA member organizations have many years of experience in the protection, restoration and management of lakes and wetlands. Our work is based on technical knowledge, ethical commitment and innovation. Our activities include the implementation of practical restoration projects, awareness raising, training and involvement of stakeholders such as businesses and local authorities, exchange of experience and best practices in sustainable lake management and lobbying for an improved policy framework to promote the protection and restoration of lakes and wetlands.