Lake Champlain Basin Program: Working together today for tomorrow

Lake Champlain is the sixth largest freshwater lake in the USA. Lake Champlain’s watershed is shared by Vermont and New York in the USA, and Quebec in Canada. The lake’s remarkable drainage area to surface area ratio is 19:1. More than 600 000 people live in the Lake Champlain basin and millions visit each year. The lake’s relatively healthy natural resources sustain a thriving economy. The three most challenging environmental issues facing the Lake Champlain basin are reducing phosphorus pollution, preventing toxic contaminants from entering the lake and managing invasive aquatic species that are not native that threaten native flora and fauna. To effectively address these issues, the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) believes that all decisions about the lake must be based on accurate, ongoing scientific research and that citizen involvement and inter‐jurisdictional cooperation is vital. The programme has worked hard to identify all citizens and organizations that have a stake in Lake Champlain and draw them into a cooperative, sustainable management process. A 1990 Act of Congress (Public Law 101‐596) established a coordinated framework to study and understand the diverse systems of Lake Champlain and its basin in order to develop a comprehensive management plan to protect and restore lake and watershed resources. A 31‐member multi‐stakeholder board was established to develop the plan, a process that took 5 years and included numerous public meetings. Today, a Steering Committee oversees the implementation of the plan and the activities of the LCBP.     

Payments for watershed services: Directing incentives for improving lake basin governance

This study introduces the emerging integrated ecosystem management approach known as Payments for Watershed Services (PWS) as utilized for lake and reservoir basin governance. PWS is built on the central concept of providing economic incentives to watershed stakeholders to assist in management efforts. It channels conservation payments from downstream payers to finance conservation activities conducted by upstream payees. The upstream conservation activities are expected to enhance ecosystem functions, thereby improving water‐related ecosystem services desired by downstream stakeholders. Information on 163 PWS projects in 34 developing countries through the year 2008 was collected and analysed, including their common goals, processes, outcomes, scientific assumptions and socioeconomic rationales. This study recognized one unique PWS characteristic, namely the role of intermediary organizations (i.e. brokers) in integrating the economic incentives of upstream payees and downstream payers in order to facilitate their transactions by means of contracts. Although 75% of the reviewed PWS projects have focused on rivers, and only 10% have considered lakes and reservoirs, the similarity of the intermediary functions performed by lake management organizations and PWS intermediary organizations suggests a greater potential for the future application of PWS designs in lake basins. Drawing on components in the field of New Institutional Economics to interpret the intermediary function within the PWS framework, a three‐part PWS design with 15 steps is proposed in this study for lake basin governance, with a Costa Rican PWS scheme serving as an illustration. This study seeks to communicate the scientific and socioeconomic frontiers for developing locally suitable and integrated watershed governance structures to lake management organizations and other watershed stakeholder groups.     

Socio‐economic and institutional assessment of Malaysia's first biosphere reserve: Chini Lake

Despite being designated the first UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in Malaysia, the Chini Lake Basin experiences continuing management challenges attributable to existing sectoral management practices and differences in demands of multiple stakeholders. Accordingly, a socio‐economic survey and stakeholder consultative process were undertaken, involving relevant stakeholders in the lake basin. The consultative process involved: (a) identification and prioritization of relevant stakeholders; (b) assessment of their socio‐economic activities and perceptions; (c) organization of focus group discussions between basin stakeholders; and (d) development of management recommendations in collaboration with stakeholders. The results of this study indicated the local community's way of living has changed from traditional occupations to a wage economy. Overlapping functions and lack of communication were among the major identified challenges facing by Chini Lake. Multiple strategies were proposed to promote environmental protection and good governance of Chini Lake, including formation of special area plans and strengthening institutional arrangements to sustainably manage the Chini Lake catchment. An effective authority also is necessary to improve communication and coordination of programmes by the various basin agencies and communities.     

Tonle Sap Lake,Cambodia: A perspective on its transborder hydrological and resources governance

Tonle Sap Lake is the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia, being situated at the heart of the Mekong River Basin. Governance of the lake over the recent past has been weak and overly complex, and the basin governance structure has changed over time in terms of its fisheries management framework. The governance framework initially focused on the commercial exploitation of fish resources, but has more recently switched to a community‐based fisheries management, biodiversity conservation and open access model. This study discusses how the water flows occurring between the Mekong River and Tonle Sap Lake complicate the governance of the lake, and particularly its fisheries, biodiversity, land and water management activities. The establishment of the Tonle Sap Authority (TSA) in 2007 sought to address the governance challenges facing the lake. The current study concludes, however, that the TSA alone is not sufficient and that global, regional and national stakeholders must make an effort to ensure the water flows between the lake and the Mekong River are themselves considered a core governance issue for the Tonle Sap.     

Determination of the status of stakeholder participation in the management of the Lake Malawi basin through application of Integrated Lake Basin Management

Lake Malawi is the southernmost of the Great Rift Valley Lakes of Africa and boasts the world's greatest freshwater fish biodiversity. Along with its basin, the lake provides many benefits to the country of Malawi. Settlements, agriculture and fishing are some of the major uses of the lake basin, making community involvement a necessary component of its management. With the use of key informant interviews, questionnaire survey, document review and site observations, this study demonstrates the applicability of the Integrated Lake Basin Management framework in the Lake Malawi Basin in regard to stakeholder participation. The main objective was to assess the participation of stakeholders, especially local communities, in the management of the lake basin. The framework applied in this study is discussed. The study findings indicate strong to very strong stakeholder participation, with notably high levels of awareness and women's involvement. Enhancing the understanding of the complex nature of lake basin issues, especially those related to the linkages between the water body and the basin, is a topic requiring further attention.     

Management issues of the Lake Peipsi/Chudskoe region

Lake Peipsi is the fourth largest lake in Europe and the largest international lake in Europe. Lake Peipsi is shallow, eutrophic, biologically very productive and is bordered by many wetland areas along its coasts. Large peat deposits in the Lake Peipsi basin are protected under national legislation. The lake is most important as a resource for recreation and fisheries. The fish stock in Lake Peipsi is one of the richest in Europe. The most critical environmental issues for the Peipsi watershed are eutrophication and unregulated fishing in the lake. During the Soviet period, large collective farms dramatically accelerated eutrophication. Despite the drop in fertilizer use during the last 10 years and a decrease in the number of domestic animals in the watershed, the impact of the earlier agricultural pollution is still significant. Untreated sewage has also been dumped in the Narva River tributary as a result of an international dispute concerning water supply and wastewater treatment. People living in the Lake Peipsi region have faced traumatic changes as a result of the re‐establishment of the border between Russia and Estonia in 1992. The establishment of an international border on the waters of the lake has resulted in fishermen losing access to many of their traditional fishing areas. Political and economic transformations of the last 10 years have seriously interrupted information exchange between different institutions and organizations concerned with the health of the lake. The Centre for Transboundary Cooperation facilitates international communication and cooperation between the Estonian and Russian governments and promotes public participation in environmental, social and economic development and decision‐making. The centre is in the process of guiding the development of a watershed management plan for the Lake Peipsi watershed and a vision for watershed development that is truly sustainable.     

Lake watershed management: Services,monitoring, funding and governance

This study discusses some insights for adaptive lake management from the perspective of ecosystem services (ES). Based on evidence from 46 advanced Payments for Watershed Services (PWS) projects implemented in 16 developing countries, and an interactive governance interpretation of this evidence, three layers of services for watershed management are distinguished, including (i) ES provided by ecosystems; (ii) land‐water conservation services (CS) provided by upstream citizens; and (iii) intermediary organizing services (OS) provided by watershed management organizations. The three‐layer service perspective indicates the need for management regime shifts regarding monitoring, funding and governance. A multilayer regime shift between monitoring, funding and governance for lake management also is discussed, using a Bolivian PWS scheme as an illustration. It indicates how lake management organizations can provide intermediary OS to coordinate exchanges between upstream payees and downstream payers. Upstream payees provide land‐water CS to obtain supply‐side payments. Land‐water CS improve water‐related ES to enhance downstream land‐water uses. Downstream payers provide demand‐side payments and benefit from better land‐water uses. This study was undertaken to broaden the vision of managing lakes and their watersheds and to guide policymakers, managers and other stakeholders in adopting adaptive management regimes for both locally and globally sustainable development.     

Stakeholders' perceptions of the socio‐economic and environmental challenges at Lake Victoria

Developing policy that is both relevant and supported requires an understanding of stakeholders' account of the key challenges in society. Such insights allow policymakers to better align their policy and collaborate with stakeholders to successfully manage the challenges. To this end, the present study reports on a problem analysis conducted with Lake Victoria stakeholders. A thorough stakeholder mapping procedure was followed by semistructured interviews with businesses, NGOs, governmental organizations and communities. In these interviews, stakeholders discussed what they perceived to be the most pressing challenges in the region, as well as their causes and possible mitigation strategies. The analysis resulted in 12 key challenges raised by the stakeholders that cover socio‐economic, environmental, health and institutional issues. Stakeholder analysis revealed that the type of challenges discussed varied across countries and stakeholder institutions. Based on these analyses, the present study concludes that these diverse perceptions must be taken into consideration in future policy formulation and that a strong partnership between policymakers and stakeholders is crucial to mitigate these challenges.     

Better governance for integrated management of the Lake Biwa—Yodo River Basin

The present study discusses the efforts of the Union of Kansai Governments to resolve serious issues in the Lake Biwa—Yodo River Basin in Japan. It identifies many of the issues related to the basin on a ‘no man's land’ mindset of today's governmental framework, which has constrained both the will and the approach to remedy the associated problems. It also highlights better governance that not only encourages individual efforts, but also promotes collaboration and cooperation among the major stakeholders in the area, as important to developing acceptable solutions to relevant issues. The present study also recognizes objective scientific evidence as an effective driver for improving governance, being the basis for making informed decisions and highlighting the use of appropriate indicators to evaluate the conditions characterizing a specific location or the basin as a whole. The present study also describes the Union of Kansai Governments as a behind‐the‐scenes coordinator that gathers knowledge and intelligence on the basin, and works to integrate policies by getting basin stakeholders to gradually improve governance by repeating a cycle of: (a) recognizing the current situation; (b) identifying relevant issues to be addressed; (c) establishing a framework and policy for collaboration and corporation; and (d) taking necessary actions. To this end, the present study discusses the studies and efforts of the Union of Kansai Governments to develop and implement integrated management of this important interlinked lake–river water system in Japan.     

Nutrient management in Lake Erie: Evaluating stakeholder values,attitudes, and policy preferences

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) have impaired Lake Erie’s western basin water quality since the 1960s. Though scientists agree that eutrophication is a key driver of HABs in Lake Erie, the role of nitrogen is still the subject of debate. The problem is twofold: (1) uncertainty in the specific causes of HABs can lead to inappropriate management solutions, and (2) managing a cross-boundary watershed requires collaboration and agreement on apt solutions from multiple stakeholders as well as many U.S. states and Canadian provinces. In our study, we interviewed 29 stakeholders actively involved in western Lake Erie’s watershed. We analyzed the stakeholders’ values, attitudes, and policy preferences to understand their differences, similarities, and their effects on management decisions. We found that stakeholders agree on the urgency of the problem and the necessity for increased nutrient management in Lake Erie’s western basin. Furthermore, we found that stakeholders can be represented as distinct clusters based on their values, and these value-based clusters are associated with different policy preferences. The different opinions and preferences of these value clusters span across stakeholder sectors and may affect efforts toward policy change. Stakeholders often question the feasibility and effectiveness of existing policies and policy plans. The findings shed new light on the relationship between stakeholder type and environmental values, attitudes, and policy preferences. Collaboration on HABs in Lake Erie will require open lines of communication both to improve policy and to cultivate trust among the multiple parties in this diverse watershed.     

Contribution to decision‐making on establishing the maximum water level for Lake Vegoritida

The water level in Lake Vegoritida, Greece, has undergone great changes over the past decades attributable to severe water abstraction directly from the lake and its catchment, which affected not only the conditions of the natural environment, but also social and economic conditions. The water level of the lake is currently rising, with discussion of an agreeable decision about the desired maximum lake water level becoming a source of conflict among the lake stakeholders. The present study provides a framework for a participatory management plan, with the perspective of engaging all levels of lake stakeholders in the process of deciding and establishing the maximum lake water level. Kolb's learning cycle is used as a methodological vehicle in the proposed process of participatory decision‐making. Its contribution to decision‐making includes (a) identification of lake stakeholders and the issues arising from a potential establishment of a maximum lake water level; and (b) three suggested water level scenarios to facilitate a future constructive discussion directed to establishing a maximum water level in Lake Vegoritida.     

Bathymetric study of Lake Hayq,Ethiopia

The generation of scientific information for improved understating of the physical dynamics of a lake is fundamental for guiding lake stakeholders and managers at the local level to implement best management practices and help design effective management strategies and policies at higher levels. Multitemporal bathymetric information on lakes is very important in hydrology and sediment studies to more clearly indicate environmental changes and to understand the effects of land processes on the hydrology of lakes. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to map bathymetric charts of Lake Hayq ¹ in Ethiopia and to derive morphometric parameters, including depth, volume, area, width and length, and to plot curves illustrating the relationships between these parameters. The bathymetric survey was carried out using a combination of a SonarLite Portable Echo Sounder and Global Positioning System (GPS) to generate three‐dimensional (XYZ) hydrographic data. Surfer 8.01 and ArcGIS 9.3 software program were used for surface, gridding and morphometric analyses. Comparison of the results of this study with a previous study conducted in 1941 indicated the lake has experienced changes in depth and surface area. To reduce the negative impacts of human‐induced activities on the ecohydrology of the lake, and to maintain its ecological integrity, appropriate and integrated lake management practices must be adopted. This will necessitate policy formulation, active lake basin stakeholder involvement and implementation of basin‐wide lake management to ensure sustainable use of the lake and its basin resources.     

A national research and development blueprint for sustainable lake basin management in Malaysia

The deterioration of water quality in lakes resulting from unsustainable catchment practices requires concerted efforts to address them, in the form of cooperation among government agencies and institutions, private bodies and the community‐at‐large. Research that provides an understanding of a lake's ecosystem is an important aspect of making informed decisions for sustainable management and governance of lakes. The present study describes the findings of literature reviews on Malaysian lakes, and the national efforts made to establish an agenda for lake research and development in Malaysia directed towards integrated lake basin management (ILBM). The main findings and outcomes of the National Lake Research Blueprint workshop in April 2014 on the issues facing lakes and reservoirs are highlighted. Seven research themes were identified, namely (i) ecosystem services and socio‐economic development, (ii) governance, (iii) water quality and pollution, (iv) eco‐hydrology and basin management, (v) biodiversity and natural products, (vi) physical limnology and hydrodynamics and (vii) technology. The goal is to enhance research and development on sustainable lake basin management directed to conservation and development targets. The findings of this study provide an integrated research framework that can support ILBM governance elements (pillars) elsewhere, and to call for researchers to participate in much‐needed research areas.     

Degradation of Lake Ziway,Ethiopia: A study of the environmental perceptions of school students

Lake Ziway in Ethiopia is a freshwater lake supporting multitude uses, including irrigation, fishing, water supply and recreation. However, the lake is being degraded primarily because of various land‐ and water‐use activities in its watershed. Recognizing these human impacts on the lake's water quality and quantity, the perceptions of school students were surveyed under the belief that the future of the lake is largely dependent on this younger generation. The goal of this study was to better understand how students actually recognize the extent to which various human activities impact the water quantity and quality of Lake Ziway. As major stakeholders in their communities, the perceptions of school students from four high schools regarding the changes to the lake over time were investigated. Students were contacted by purposive sampling, based on criteria of student academic performances, and their proximity to the lake. Their perceptions were studied on the basis of an interview survey. The majority of students indicated that high levels of human activities, especially water abstractions and water pollution, were the main lake impacts. Students believe there is a lack of sustainable utilization and protection of the lake. They suggested coordinated activities among all lake stakeholders in the participation and decision‐making process to properly manage the lake. Provision of awareness to both local administrations and local communities, concern for establishing an appropriate regulatory body and allocating a sufficient budget, and strict controls on flower farm practices in the lakeshore, also was considered to be of high priority as a means of conserving the sustainability of the lake. The result derived from this survey has important implications for facilitating improved school curricula, and for federal, regional and district level water resource management authorities, in setting priorities and developing policies for the sustainability of Lake Ziway.     

浅析太湖治理行动网络的构建

太湖污染治理涉及很多不确定的科学问题,同时涉及流域社会的所有利益相关者.如何使不同的利益相关者形成恰当的水污染合作治理的集体行动模式,是解决太湖水污染问题的管理基础.本研究从太湖治理的组织模式出发,将太湖水污染治理历程分为单项目治理、蓝藻大规模暴发前项目群治理以及蓝藻大规模暴发后项目群治理三个阶段,并对各个阶段行动者网络关系进行分析.在总结实践经验和理论分析的基础上,重构了近期和未来太湖治理的行动者网络结构,并提出构建新型太湖治理模式的政策建议.     

Unravelling Stakeholder Perceptions to Enable Adaptive Water Governance in Dryland Systems

Adaptive water governance seeks to increase a social-ecological system’s adaptive capacity in the face of uncertainty and change. This is especially important in non-linear dryland systems that are already exposed to water scarcity and increasing degradation. Conservation of water ecosystem services is key for increasing adaptive capacity in drylands, however, how stakeholders perceive water ecosystem services greatly affects how they are managed, as well as the potential for adaptive water governance. This paper focuses on identifying the system’s potential for enabling adaptive water governance by analysing different stakeholder perceptions on water ecosystem services. It takes the Rio del Carmen watershed as a case study, offering important insights for an increasing number of water-scarce regions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with key stakeholders in the watershed in order to unravel their perceptions and understand the governance context. We found disparities in how stakeholders perceive water ecosystem services have led to water overexploitation and several conflicts over water access. Our results indicate that stakeholder perceptions have a major influence on the system’s adaptability, as they shape the acquisition of water ecosystem services. Divergent stakeholder perceptions act as an important barrier to collaboration. Generating and sharing knowledge could facilitate the development of a common vision, allowing all actors to co-create information about water ecosystem services and the system state, engaging them in a participatory process, suitable for their context, and that will better support adaptive water governance.     

Lake Toba: Need for an integrated management system

Lake Toba is the largest year‐round lake in South‐East Asia and the largest volcanic lake in the world. The Lake Toba catchment area faces an environmental crisis characterized by widespread deforestation, drought, decline of the water level, water quality degradation, invasive species and loss of biological diversity. More than half of the Lake Toba catchment area is classified as land at high erosion risk. Widespread poverty gives people little room to think beyond day‐to‐day needs and is an instrument for unsustainable methods of fishing and growing food. The Lake Toba catchment area is not managed as an integrated whole, but rather as four separate districts. Guidelines and orders tend to come from the government in Jakarta rather than being developed locally with stakeholder involvement. Differences in approach between government and non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) have resulted in friction and mistrust between the two. Local, national and international NGOs have been the biggest contributors to increasing the awareness of the need for an integrated approach to managing the lake. Technical exchanges with Lake Champlain have facilitated an exchange of experience of managing a large lake watershed, the transfer of low‐cost alternative technologies for managing waste water in small communities and development of new approaches to pulp and paper mills on both lakes. The Lake Toba Heritage Foundation’s priorities include establishing a research and monitoring programme, creating a science and education centre, and developing better coordination among central, provincial and district levels of government.     

Crossing boundaries between science and policy: Two case studies illustrate the importance of boundary organizations in the Great Lakes Basin

Boundary organizations are institutions that interface between science and policy by facilitating interactions between scientists, policy specialists, and other stakeholders to inform collaborative decision-making. Natural resource management in the Great Lakes Basin is complex and a shared exercise among two federal governments, eight states, two provinces, and over 200 sovereign Tribes, First Nations, and Métis. Many governmental agencies have recognized a need to effectively engage with other jurisdictions in order to bridge the gaps between scientific knowledge and policy decisions. As a result, boundary organizations have emerged to facilitate planning and implementation of collaborative governance frameworks. This commentary highlights how decades of shared governance of the world’s largest freshwater surface water system is augmented and assisted by boundary organizations in addressing two key Great Lakes management issues – Western Lake Erie Basin nutrient levels and Lake Michigan fisheries – which are complex, broad in scale, and pose challenges that must be addressed collaboratively across jurisdictions. While there are many governmental and non-governmental entities that engage in boundary organization-like behaviors, this commentary will be centered on three key institutions: The Great Lakes Executive Committee’s Annex 4 (Nutrients) Subcommittee, the Great Lakes Commission, and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. We illustrate how each organization procedurally engages stakeholders, especially within state and provincial jurisdictions, to produce information and products that add breadth and capacity to manage the ecosystems of the Great Lakes. We also highlight areas of success and opportunities for improvement in collaborative governance frameworks now and into the future.     

Managing resources through stakeholder networks: collaborative water governance for Lake Naivasha basin,Kenya

Stakeholder analysis and social network analysis were used to analyze stakeholders’ social and structural characteristics based on their interests, influence and interactions in Lake Naivasha basin, Kenya. Even though the Kenyan government and its agencies seem to command higher influence and interest in water resource management, the presence of influential and central stakeholders from non-government sectors plays a key role in strengthening partnership in a governance environment with multiple sectors, complex issues and competing interests. Interactions in the basin are guided by stakeholders’ interest and sphere of influence, which have both promoted participation in implementing a collaborative water governance framework.     

Prioritizing Long-term Watershed Management Strategies Using Group Decision Analysis

There is a growing consensus that an effective way of enhancing long-term water resources management and environmental sustainability is through locally based planning at the watershed scale. Managing watershed resources for particular uses requires interactive dialogue among all stakeholders who have different objectives. Therefore, the resolution of inter-group conflict should be an acknowledged task of the planning process. In this paper, an integrated framework for prioritizing watershed management strategies is proposed. A case study is employed to highlight the challenges of using group decision analysis in strategic planning and to illustrate the interaction between different stakeholders on watershed issues. In particular, two group decision-making approaches are used to assess and analyse different stakeholders' preferences for various strategies and alternatives. Professional experts, government agencies and community leaders constitute the different parties included in the framework. The main focus is on the application of group decision analysis in the long-term watershed planning process. The results of the overall preference analysis show that water resources development is the most important strategy followed by agricultural and range management.