Advancing Lake Restoration: A Holistic Approach for Lasting Impact

Moving Beyond Single‑Solution Approaches

Restoring lakes is a complex challenge. Effective solutions must not only improve ecological status but also address broader societal goals and remain economically viable.

Our structured literature review tackles a key gap in current knowledge: the lack of holistic evaluations of emerging restoration approaches, particularly those based on nature‑based and circular methodologies.

These approaches go beyond traditional interventions by:

• Supporting biodiversity recovery
• Enhancing climate resilience
• Contributing to sustainable economic development

The Role of Circular Solutions in Lakes

One important focus of the study is the potential of in‑lake circular solutions.

These approaches:

• Reduce internal nutrient loading, a major barrier to lake recovery
• Enable nutrient and carbon recovery, contributing to resource efficiency
• Offer opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from lakes

By turning waste into a resource, circular restoration strategies can play a key role in both environmental and climate objectives.

Catchment‑Scale Nature‑Based Solutions

While in‑lake measures are important, the study emphasises that prevention is essential.

Capturing pollutants at source—or before they reach lakes—remains a critical priority.

Across catchments, nature‑based solutions (NbS) can:

• Improve water and nutrient retention
• Create “sponge landscapes” that buffer against floods and droughts
• Deliver co‑benefits aligned with major policy frameworks, including:
  • The EU Water Resilience Strategy
  • The EU Nature Restoration Regulation
  • The UN Sustainable Development Goals

A Systems Approach to Lake Restoration

A central conclusion of the review is clear: there is no single “silver bullet” for lake restoration.

Instead, successful interventions require:

• A thorough, lake‑specific diagnosis of ecological problems and their causes
• The design of integrated catchment–lake strategies
• The combination of multiple complementary measures

This systems‑based approach ensures that restoration efforts are both effective and durable over time.

The Need for Stronger Evidence

Although nature‑based and circular approaches show strong promise, the study highlights a critical next step: building a stronger evidence base.

More research is needed to:

• Assess the costs and benefits of innovative solutions
• Support decision‑making by policymakers and practitioners
• Enable the scaling up of restoration efforts across regions and countries

Supporting Scalable, Impact‑Driven Restoration

This publication reinforces the FutureLakes mission to advance integrated, science‑driven solutions for lake restoration.

By combining ecological understanding with practical tools and policy alignment, we aim to support:

• Healthier lake ecosystems
• Climate‑resilient landscapes
• Sustainable freshwater management at scale

Read the article here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925857426001400