Urban lake restoration

Chapter 7. Urban lakes support a wide range of valued activities and services for urban citizens. They are often landscapes for recreation, groundwater recharge, fisheries, and a refuge for biodiversity (Figure 7.1). However, across the developing world, and especially in India, urban lakes have become pools of polluted water. Rapid urbanisation and population increases, without the construction of adequate wastewater treatment, is the major driver of this problem. This has greatly impacted the water quality and ecological health of urban freshwaters with consequent losses or restrictions on their use. New approaches are needed to successfully restore and sustain the valuable services lakes provide to urban citizens. We outline innovations in three areas that overcome common barriers or mistakes in restoration and can transform urban lake restoration programmes: (1) governance, (2) assessing ecological health and (3) decentralised wastewater treatment.