Flourishing Lakes and Streams

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Conserving and protecting our precious aquatic environments are
important steps in this objective for protecting biodiversity and maintaining the environment's natural productive capacity. Often in the vicinity of these environments are valuable cultural assets which must be conserved and managed so that they can be experienced by future generations. This objective also ensures that our waters are used in a sustainable manner.

The Objective

Lakes and watercourses must be ecologically sustainable and their variety of habitats must be preserved. Natural productive capacity, biological diversity, cultural heritage assets and the ecological and water-conserving function of the landscape must be preserved, at the same time as recreational assets are safeguarded.

Illustration: Tobias Flyger

Lakes and streams serve important functions in the ecosystem and are home to a large variety of species that must be preserved. Water environments are impacted by several influences, for example from forestry, agriculture, industries and hydropower. The introduction of alien species in aquatic systems may also affect the environment negatively.

How do we achieve this objective?

Efforts are necessary in order to reduce the eutrophication and acidification of lakes and streams. The restoration of rivers and lakes need to continue, and valuable natural and cultural environments adjacent to lakes and streams need to be preserved and protected.

The valuable assets that aquatic environments provide with regard to outdoor recreation should be safeguarded and developed so that they may continue to be enjoyed in a sustainable manner. The spread of alien species that can cause harm needs to be prevented. Efforts within water management and among various water authorities' actions are therefore significant.

Published: 2014-02-14
Updated: 2016-12-05