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The knowledge gap.

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Despite their importance, lakes remain among the least monitored water bodies on Earth . Unlike rivers, which often have established gauging stations, lakes are poorly studied, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. UNEP is working to change this. Through tools and initiatives such as the Freshwater Ecosystems Explorer , the UNEP lakes portal , the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and integrated water resources management frameworks, efforts are underway to close data gaps and improve policies, plans and approaches. But we need to scale up, and scale up fast. UNEP launched a landmark, transboundary initiative in the Lake Tanganyika Basin that works across Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Zambia to protect biodiversity, restore critical wetlands and degraded landscapes, support sustainable fisheries management and enhance water security . It will rehabilitate 1,700 hectares of ecosystems and foster catchment-wide governance through commun...
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Why it matters for all of us?

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Lakes may seem remote, but their health determines our own . They are essential parts of the global hydrological cycle – a topic that is on the table for discussion at the Seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly , to be held in December 2025. Like other freshwater ecosystems , lakes are important buffers against drought, engines of local economies and cradles of biodiversity. They are also sentinels, warning us of the accelerating impacts of the climate crisis . Protecting freshwater ecosystems like lakes is not optional . It is central to biodiversity, water, energy and food security, and offers climate resilience . Member States, guided by the leadership of Indonesia, must adopt an integrated water resources management approach to enhance lake protection and restoration . Greater investments in infrastructure, data and innovative solutions are crucial to meet the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 6 – clean water and sanitation for all – and ensure long-term...
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Glaciers, lakes and the global hydrological cycle.

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To understand the fate of lakes , we need to zoom out to the global hydrological cycle – the invisible thread linking glaciers, rivers, wetlands, aquifers and seas. Glaciers , often called “water towers of the world”, feed many of the planet’s lakes and rivers. Nearly 1.9 billion people depend on these frozen reserves for drinking water, irrigation and hydropower. But climate change is melting glaciers at unprecedented rates . Recognizing this, 2025 marks the United Nations International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation . The year 2024 was the warmest year on record, and in 2023 alone, glaciers lost more than 600 gigatons of ice – the greatest loss in five decades. As they retreat, a new phenomenon is reshaping mountain landscapes: the explosive growth of glacial lakes . These lakes can be both lifelines and risks. They store meltwater, acting as buffers during drought . But they also pose catastrophic risks through glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) , which can devastate entire ...
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Protecting the heart of freshwater systems.

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A recent analysis by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) revealed a stark figure. Surface water bodies, such as lakes, are shrinking or being lost entirely in 364 basins worldwide. The degradation of lakes is not just an environmental threat ; it also affects communities that rely on them for survival. Indonesia is leading the fight to protect lakes . Since championing the first-ever United Nations Environment Assembly resolution on Sustainable Lake Management in 2022 , the country has helped place lakes at the centre of global water discussions , including during the United Nations 2023 Water Conference and the tenth World Water Forum , in which lakes featured prominently in the Ministerial Declaration . With the recent adoption of the United Nations System-wide Strategy on Water and Sanitation , the stage is set for even greater cooperative action. But why this urgency? Because lakes are under siege .
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Protecting freshwater ecosystems like lakes is central to biodiversity, water, energy and food security, and offers climate resilience.

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When you think of water, you might picture rivers rushing to the sea or waves crashing on a tropical shore. But the quiet giants of our freshwater systems – lakes – hold 90 per cent of the planet’s surface fresh water. They are life-support systems for millions, providing drinking water, irrigation, food and recreation. They shelter biodiversity, regulate climate and buffer communities against floods and droughts. Yet, like many freshwater ecosystems, lakes are often overlooked in global discussions on water solutions. From the Great Lakes of Africa to the mountain reservoirs of Asia, lakes sustain billions of lives . They store water, moderate temperature, support fisheries and underpin agriculture. Lakes are also biodiversity havens for countless species. But lake ecosystems are fragile. Today, they are being put under increasing pressure from climate change, pollution and unsustainable land use. Evaporation rates are rising as global temperatures climb. Nutrient runoff from agricul...
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Planning for Sustainable Lake Management.

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  Lake basin planning is the process of developing an agreed set of goals for use of lake basin and the means for achieving those goals typically within a particular time frame and resource constraint. The Plans can be developed at different levels of specificity from local to basin-wide plans, and from sectoral to comprehensive plans. The Development of a plan requires:  • The involvement of stakeholders and instituions concerend with with lake basin managment,  • The use of reliable and timely information,  • The assessment and selection of both policies policies and technological responses to issues, and  • The identification of financing options. The lake basin plan is the mechanism for putting the components together in an effective and fair way for resource development, environmental protection, and social benefit.  The viability of a management plan for lakebasin is strongly dependent on the alignment of the plan with regional and national plans for...
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Focus on Integrated Lake Basin Management (ILBM).

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 Integrated Lake Basin Management (ILBM)  Regardless, the way in which the stress is exerted from the basin to the lentic body of lake water is the same, and a common and integrated approach is needed to address these wide ranging issues in lake basin management . The  ILBM  approach is a way of thinking that assists lake basin managers and stakeholders in achieving the sustainable management of lakes and their basins . It takes into account that lakes have a great variety of resource values whose sus hose sustainable development and use  require  special managemen considerations for their lentic(static) water properties . Good basin management of a lake can be realized only through ILBM , or continuous improvement of lake of lake basin governance that integrates institution, policy, participation, science, technology and funding. The Improvement of the state of world of world’s lakes can be realized by promoting ILBM globally, with long-term and stro...
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