Establishment of Critical Friends groups (T2.3)
Promoting Inclusive Water Governance: Critical Friends Workshops in three Demo Sites
Over the past months, the FutureLakes project has brought together diverse groups of stakeholders through Critical Friends workshops. Critical Friends are defined in T2.3 as innovative, participatory platforms that broaden stakeholder involvement in lake governance and piloted across three project’s Demo Sites: in Greece, Poland, and Norway. At each Demo Site, these groups include people who don’t typically sit at planning tables, but whose perspectives matter greatly: local NGOs, farmers’ associations, municipal representatives, water authorities, angling clubs, environmental agencies, community activists and organizations. Unlike formal committees or regulatory bodies, such groups act as constructive, supportive ‘friends’ of the project, able to point out omitted elements and create a welcoming space to improve the quality of lake restoration through dialogue and collaboration.
Lake Karla: Navigating complexity in a fragmented governance landscape
The November 2025 workshop at Lake Karla, Greece, brought together public authorities, researchers, professionals, and civil society groups. Stakeholders highlighted challenges such as limited funding, overlapping responsibilities, and the need for clearer legislation. Clear institutional roles and synergies, accompanied by social awareness and community engagement emerged as key priorities for improving lake governance. Despite the challenges, results from the interactive session were optimistic: collaboration across institutions is growing, and recent progress provides a strong basis for future action.
Lake Vansjø: Joining forces to tackle nitrogen pollution
At Lake Vansjø in Norway, the 29th January 2026 workshop built on the well-established Morsa River Basin District Organisation. Here, the Critical Friends approach helped broaden participation by involving new stakeholders, especially those downstream, connected to the Oslofjord. The discussions cantered on nitrogen runoff, the need for better knowledge-sharing across agriculture and water management, and opportunities for joint initiatives, including a planned thinktank session to develop a targeted nitrogen reduction strategy.
Kartuzy Lakes: Strengthening local engagement after restoration
On 27 February 2026, the first Critical Friends workshop in Kartuzy, Poland, marked an important step in continuing dialogue after the end of an intensive lake restoration project. Participants discussed emerging issues such as excess storm water, illegal sewage inflows, winter oxygen depletion, and waste dumping, while also pointing to the need for stronger environmental education around the lakes. Despite existing partnerships, stakeholder collaboration remains fragmented, something the Critical Friends initiative aims to strengthen.
Way forward
Across all three lakes, representing different countries, ecosystems and restoration pathways, a common theme emerges: effective lake governance is not only about technical measures, but also about people working together. The Critical Friends workshops help using local knowledge, bridge institutional gaps, and build shared ownership of both problems and solutions. As the FutureLakes project moves forward, Critical Friends will meet to shape more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable paths for lake governance.