One of the World’s Oldest Lakes Restored to Full Health, UNDP Reports

March 14, 2018

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Lake Prespa, an ancient lake and biodiversity hotspot in the heart of the Balkans, has been restored to health thanks to a 15-year effort to reverse pollution, reduce pesticide use and provide proper wastewater treatment, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said today.

“Lake Prespa is a success story in restoring complex water ecosystems. The valuable lessons learnt here can be replicated in other endangered freshwater ecosystems across Europe and the globe,” said UNDP Administrator Helen Clark.

Since 2002, UNDP has worked in partnership with the the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and national and local authorities to restore the health of this venerable ecosystem in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Intensive training in sustainable methods of pest control, fertilization and irrigation, combined with the creation of demonstration farms and a small grants programme to encourage the adoption of environmentally-friendly techniques, have yielded a dramatic change in farming practices.

More than 80 percent of local farmers have adopted agro-ecological practices. The use of water for irrigation has fallen by nearly 60 percent, while pesticide use is down by 30 percent.

Newly constructed sewage treatment plants prevent harmful run-off, and thousands of tons of waste, once dumped in the lake, are now being transformed into high-quality compost. Water quality has measurably improved and indigenous fish species have recovered.

Over 2,000 species of birds, fish and mammals, many of them unique to the Prespa region, depend on the beautiful but fragile habitat. The ancient lake has withstood centuries of natural pressures, but recent decades had seen a dramatic worsening in water quality and a decline in native species.

Unsustainable farming practices were targeted as a major cause of pollution. Over 70 percent of the local population work in agriculture, mostly in apple cultivation. But while their livelihoods ultimately depend on the health of the lake, many farmers unknowingly caused huge damage to the ecosystem by using excessive amounts of hazardous pesticides and fertilizers, wasting irrigation water and dumping waste, including thousands of tons of rotting apples, directly into the lake.

Combined with the effects of erosion and the lack of sustainable solutions for solid waste and sewage, these practices effectively poisoned the lake, posing a threat to the survival of fish and even the disappearance of some species, including the endangered Dalmatian pelican.

UNDP’s response was to find ways to protect biodiversity while at the same time ensuring that the region’s farmers could earn a decent living. The new approaches introduced by the programme helped farmers to save money while increasing the quantity and quality of their harvests.

The Prespa story is told in a beautiful short film, “Lake of Apples,” produced to showcase the results of the restoration programme. The documentary will have its world premiere in Skopje on 24 March 2017. The movie has a happy end, showing that nature and neighborhoods can thrive together.  

“What is remarkable about the programme is that this progress in nature protection has been achieved without any negative impact on farming livelihoods,” emphasized Ms. Clark. “On the contrary, farm families have seen significant savings through the adoption of less wasteful techniques and more modern technologies.”

The enthusiasm generated by this win-win approach will be crucial in efforts to protect Prespa in the future.