Choosing where to begin: scaling up lake restoration across Europe

Nearly half of Europe’s lakes are failing to meet basic ecological standards – and with tens of thousands of degraded waters across the continent, there will never be enough money, time or attention to restore them all at once. So which lakes do we begin with? Who decides? And once the science is done, what keeps a lake healthy for the decades that follow?
In this second episode of the FutureLakes podcast, recorded at the midterm consortium meeting in Gdańsk, Poland, we travel to the restored Kartuzy lakes to explore the human questions at the heart of lake restoration: choosing, governing, and bringing people along. Project coordinator Laurence Carvalho (NIVA) makes the case for lakes as overlooked but vital ecosystems, and for a policy window now opening across Europe.
Maeve McGovern (NIVA) introduces a new framework to help governments decide which lakes to restore first. And Åse Johannessen (Deltares) reveals why governance – trust, coordination, and who’s invited into decision-making rooms – matters as much as any engineering.
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Facts Only

* Nearly half of Europe’s lakes fail to meet basic ecological standards.
* The topic involves choosing where to begin lake restoration across Europe.
* Project coordinator Laurence Carvalho (NIVA) presented the case for lakes as vital ecosystems and an opening policy window in Europe.
* Maeve McGovern (NIVA) introduced a new framework for governments to decide which lakes to restore first.
* Åse Johannessen (Deltares) discussed the importance of governance, including trust, coordination, and decision-making inclusion.
* The discussion took place at the midterm consortium meeting in Gdańsk, Poland.
* The session explored human questions related to choosing, governing, and involving people in lake restoration.

Executive Summary

The discussion focuses on the challenges of scaling up lake restoration across Europe, noting that nearly half of European lakes are failing to meet basic ecological standards. The central questions raised involve determining which lakes to prioritize for restoration, who should make those decisions, and what governance structures can ensure long-term health after initial restoration efforts. The session explored these human dimensions by examining the process through the lens of restored Kartuzy lakes in Poland. Specific contributions included a framework proposed by Maeve McGovern to guide governmental decisions on prioritization, and an examination of governance factors—such as trust, coordination, and stakeholder inclusion—as critical components alongside engineering solutions.

Full Take

The narrative structure immediately frames an enormous, intractable problem—widespread ecological failure—and then pivots toward a process-oriented solution centered on governance rather than purely technical remediation. This moves the focus from the physical state of the lakes to the socio-political mechanisms required for change. The juxtaposition of engineering solutions (implied by "engineering") against the necessity of trust and coordination suggests a pattern where technical fixes are treated as insufficient without addressing the social architecture of management. The core tension lies in deciding whether restoration efforts will succeed based on scientific capacity or relational capacity. The emphasis on who decides and who is included speaks to a historical pattern where expertise often dominates decision-making, potentially overlooking the necessary cultural buy-in required for long-term stewardship. The implication is that inaction stems not just from a lack of resources, but from an incomplete understanding of the necessary organizational alignment. What mechanisms exist for translating frameworks like McGovern's into enforceable governance structures? How does the failure to address these human questions in prior restoration attempts shape the current skepticism regarding large-scale environmental policy implementation?