Living Lakes - Strategies to protect the biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems

Protection and restoration of lakes, wetlands, and associated landscapes is crucial to halt biodiversity loss and combat climate change. Eleven partners from ten countries in the Living Lakes Network will focus on capacity development for key actors involved in the use and management of the lakes. Local authorities, regional administrations and civil society will improve knowledge to reduce negative impacts of agriculture, fisheries and tourism and to manage lakes better. The partners will develop innovative techniques e.g. in wastewater treatment, renaturation of lake landscapes, management of invasive species, and biodiversity-friendly agriculture as "Frontrunner Initiatives". Experiences in the implementation of these projects are disseminated at regional, national and global level in order to achieve improved implementation of lake protection laws and management plans, the strengthening of non-governmental organisations and their participation in stakeholder consultations.

Project data

Countries: Cambodia, Colombia, India, Malawi, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, South Africa, Sri Lanka
IKI funding: 8,086,799.00 €
Included preparation phase: 43,434.22 €
Duration: 08/2022 till 08/2027
Status: open
Implementing organisation: Global Nature Fund (GNF)
Political Partner: Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) - Philippines

Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) - South Africa

Ministry of Agricultural Development and Irrigation, MIDAGRI - Peru

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries - Cambodia

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) - India

Ministry of Environment (MINAM) - Peru

Ministry of Environment (MoE) - Cambodia

Ministry of Environment - Sri Lanka

Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MinAmbiente) - Colombia

Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Environment - Malawi

Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA)

State Government of Jalisco - Mexico
Implementing Partner: Action for Environmental Sustainability (AfES)

Albertine Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS)

Autoridad Binacional del Lago Titicaca (ALT)

EMACE Foundation of Sri Lanka

Fisheries Action Coalition Team (FACT)

Fundación Global Nature (FGN)

Fundación Humedales (FH)

Institute Corazon de la Tierra (ICT)

Lake Constance Foundation (LCF)

Nagenahiru Foundation (NF)

Nature Environment & Wildlife Society (NEWS)

Society for the Conservation of Philippine Wetlands, Inc. (SCPW)
Online: https://livinglakes.org/

https://www.globalnature.org/en/living-lakes-biodiversity-and-climate-project

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State of implementation/results

International cooperation: The LLBCP has strengthened youth participation through cooperation with Youth Engaged in Wetlands and support for the Ramsar Youth Working Group. At Ramsar COP15 (July 2025), the project co-organised a side event on youth capacity building, together with YEW, UNDP Zimbabwe and the German government, and contributed to the adoption of the second youth resolution. Partners will also participate in the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025. The LLBCP continues to liaise closely with international actors such as WWQA, Wetlands International, ILEC, WWT, IUCN and YEW.
Political influence: To date, 14 policies at local, regional or national level have integrated new measures for the protection and sustainable management of wetlands and lakescapes; further processes are underway.
Capacity building: More than 10,900 farmers, fishermen and lake managers in all partner countries have been trained in sustainable wetland management, agriculture, fisheries, biodiversity and ecotourism.
Frontrunner initiatives: 11 initiatives in ten countries are testing innovative approaches, including agroecology schools in Malawi and Mexico, youth leadership in Rwanda, peatland restoration in South Africa, ecotourism and youth programmes in Sri Lanka and "Green Filters" for clean water in the Philippines. Most of them are in the implementation phase and are already delivering initial results for people and nature.
Replication projects: Five projects were launched in Cambodia, Mexico (2), India and Rwanda at the beginning of 2025, in addition to the pilot project in South Africa (end of 2024). They transfer successful frontrunner approaches to new locations and partners.
Youth & Academy: 35 young lake managers completed traineeships and 20 participants completed the Living Lakes Academy curriculum. In 2024, over 450 people took part in nine webinars, totalling around 800. The Sustainability Leadership Journey 2024 in South Africa offered intensive training and networking; the next SLJ will take place in Colombia in November 2025.
Citizen Science: Over 800 citizens took part in biodiversity monitoring pilots, including bird counts and water quality measurements.
Public relations & visibility: The project media reached over 230,000 people directly and a further 400,000+ via partner channels. On the first UN World Lakes Day (27 August 2025), Lake Kivu was named Living Lakes Lake of the Year 2025 in recognition of its biodiversity and community-based conservation measures.

Latest Update:
12/2025