ProCleanLakes Project aims to tackle the challenges posed by the climate change in European lakes
European Commission-funded project “ProCleanLakes - Integrated emerging approaches for joint protection and restoration of Natural Lakes in the spirit of European life heritage support” launched on the 1st of June 2024 to tackle the challenges posed by the climate change.
The overall aim of ProCleanLakes is the science-based development of an Action Plan for remediation and protection of European natural lakes (ENL) and its adoption by relevant decision-makers (lake managers, local authorities and policy makers) with the goal to make again European lakes clean, beautiful and home for many original species, as well as inspiring place for sustainable tourism- and other related business activities. Using a joint effort with a wide range of stakeholders, which will enable to tackle all their needs and interests, the Action Plan will integrate:
1. Improved ecological and chemical status of ENL, including biodiversity by using new integrative nature-based solutions
2. Using new 4.0 Digital solutions for supporting ecosystem monitoring, restoration, protection, and knowledge transfer to other regions
3. Enabling business activities based on circular economy concept, assuring the transition from Blue to Green Economy
4. Raising awareness, empowering, building capacities and co-develop solution with- and for citizens and stakeholders related to problems and disruptive challenges associated with restoration and protection of ENL
Kick-Off Meeting completed successfully in Vienna
On the 25th and 26th of June of 2024, the ProCleanLakes Consortium met in Vienna for a two-day meeting to discuss the next steps to be done for a successful development of the project goals. Besides, six lakes across Europe which will serve as experimental sites for the development of innovative solutions for protection and remediation of ENL, were introduced.
ProCleanLakes project has set high-standard objectives to be implemented during the project lifetime and will have a significant impact towards the protection and restoration of natural lakes. ProCleanLakes proposes a dynamic and flexible initiative, with learning by observe and prove by doing. The resulting Action Plan will have multiple benefits and co-benefits, on the funding period but also in a long-term. One of the important points will be a continuous exchange between the scientific and social communities.
About the consortium
ProCleanLakes puts together a unique consortium with 18 partners, including 12 academic and research institutions, 1 public authority, 1 NGO, and 4 service providers companies from 11 countries. The project will design and demonstrate in 3 demonstration sites and 3 monitoring sites the feasibility of integrated nature-based emerging approaches for joint protection and restoration of European Natural Lakes (ENL) and their biodiversity, considering scenarios which imply the presence of various pressures that affect the aquatic ecosystems' status. One out of three monitoring sites is the Medard Lake, an LTER monitoring site operated by the Institute of Hydrobiology BC CAS for studying ecological processes in large natural lentic ecosystems.
