Beneath the calm surfaces of Europe’s lakes, a quiet crisis is unfolding.

Once-clear waters are impacted by pollution, algae blooms and habitat loss, with nearly half of Europe’s lakes now failing to meet basic ecological standards. In this first episode of the Future Lakes podcast, we explore what’s gone wrong – and how innovation is opening new pathways to recovery.

The episode introduces FutureLakes, a three-year Horizon Europe project coordinated by the Norwegian Institute of Water Research, which is rethinking how lakes are restored across the continent. Moving beyond business-as-usual approaches, the project treats lakes as living laboratories, combining science, nature-based solutions, circular economy thinking and community engagement.

We hear from researchers behind a major global review of innovative lake restoration m ...