ISSN 0912-7402

No.68 : March 2021

Towards the Post-Corona Era

ILEC-UNEP International Webinar■ILEC held an international webinar in collaboration
with the United Nation Environment Programme(UNEP) on the theme “Mainstreaming Lakes in the Global Water Agenda”
on Tuesday, October 27th, 2020 (17:00-20:00 JST). The webinar started
with a message of encouragement from Mr. Mikazuki, Governor of Shiga
Prefecture, an opening remark from Dr. Liu, Director of the Science
Division of UNEP, and a warm address from Dr. Takemoto, the presidentof ILEC.
The webinar had 133 viewer participants from 27 countries, including
those from Europe, Africa, North, Central and South America, where it
was late at night in local time. This reminded us of the high level of the
global interest in the topic of mainstreaming lakes.
In the webinar, senior officials representing the lake policy departmentsof Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, India, Malaysia, and Nepal presented
on the unique challenges they are facing and the actual status of institutional
development and efforts to solve them. In addition, Dr. Walter Rast,
Chairperson of ILEC Scientific Committee, reported on global trends inlake environmental issues and ILEC Scientific Committee members from
Kenya and Senegal reported the current serious situation of African lakes.
Taking Lake Biwa as a case example, Mr. Tsutsui, Director of the Water
Environment Division of the Ministry of the Environment of Japan,

IN
THIS
ISSUE

■ ILEC-UNEP International Webinar■ Letter from Scientific Committee (Japan)■ Lake Management Strategies in the Phillippines■ Establishment of Lake Network in Latin America

presented on the status of Japan’s efforts and thedetails of the state of the art legal and institutions
systems. As the content of the presentation was
holistic and concrete, touching on such subjects as
the legal framework on water, the implications ofenvironmental standards for lakes, and the respectiveroles of the national and prefectural governments inGovernor
Mikazuki
the planning and implementation of lake water
quality protection plans, Director Liu made a special
request to have the presentation materials widely
shared outside of this webinar.
The webinar was intended to reaffirm theimportance of ILEC’s role in leading global actions
to mainstream lakes, which have been criticallylacking in the international water initiatives
Director
Liu
including due referencing in the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) . This very successful webinar event was
concluded with smiles on our faces as we all agreed on the mainstreamingof lakes in the water agenda.
For more information, please visit our webpage athttps://www.ilec.or.jp/en/news/9040/■ Report from a Former JICA Training Participant (Ethiopia)■ Ecosystem Service Shared Value Assessment (ESSVA)■ WLC18 One Year to Go Pre-Conference Virtual Event

1

Letter from Scientiﬁc Committee (Japan)“Mainstreaming Lakes in Global
Water Agenda”
Masatsugu Takamatsu
In 2020, COVID-19 has caused significant damages to the global
economy, many industries, and people’s lives. Even many
developing countries that had made steady progress in economic
growth may fall into a serious recession and the number of the poor
may unfortunately significantly increase 1) . The World Bank has
responded quickly to support the vulnerable countries that wereheavily affected by COVID-19 in various ways such as
strengthening health and medical systems including emergency
care, financial supports to the most affected people, and more
recently with vaccines. At the same time, to prioritize urgent
COVID-19 responses, there were cases where originally planned
projects had been remodeled or postponed.
Likewise, lake environment conservation or management effort
may be pushed back or reduced especially when a country’s
economy or finance situation becomes worse. In October 2020,
ILEC together with UNEP held an international webinar andgovernment officials in charge of lake environment conservationfrom Asia and Africa have presented their progress and challenges.
I was delighted to learn that many countries showed steadyprogress in improving lake environment and effective management.
It was interesting to note that approaches and challenges in lake
environment management are unique in each country such as inIndonesia with thousands of Islands, Nepal such a mountainous
country along the Himalayas, and in Africa with many internationalriver basins. The common issues raised were the challenges due tothe lack of funding for lake environment conservation and thechallenges of coordination among stakeholders in prioritizing
projects or planning.
Disaster risk management has common challenges, while natural
disasters are becoming more frequent and severe with Climate
Change, rapid urbanization, unregulated development inhazard-prone areas, etc. Multi-hazard and Cross-sector approaches
to address increasing hazard risks are gaining popularity as thefinancial resources are often limited and management ofcomplicated and large-scale disasters require coordination ofdifferent sectors. We consider sharing of good practices are very

Picture 1. Identification of slow-moving slopes using
satellite data analysis

2

important. For example, under the World Bank GFDRR (Global
Facility for Disaster Risk Reduction) program, we held threeworkshops over 4 years on geohazard risk management forpractitioners and policy makers from the South Asian countries toshare each country’s progress, challenge, and experience andarranged field trips for providing learning opportunities. The
workshop concept is called South-to-South2) where countries withsimilar challenges or common environment learn from each other.
In lake environment management, there are opportunities ofmulti-sector coordination and collaboration for sustainable andcost-effective lake management. Even with disaster risk
management as an example, when flood or drought early warning
projects have opportunities of monitoring in rivers, lakes,
reservoirs, or groundwater, adding water quality sensors at key
stations can be a cost-effective collaboration for lake environment
management authorities. Other types of multi-sector collaboration
can be sought between Integrated Lake Basin Management (ILBM)
and integrated watershed management (IWRM). It would be usefulto illustrate the difference between the two concepts and how thetwo different frameworks can coordinate or collaborate to achieve
better lake environment.
New communication tools and innovative technologies aree m e rg i n g i n d i s a s t e r r i s k m a n a g e m e n t . J o h n s H o p k i n s
University’s3) COVID-19 tracking visualized global propagation of
the pandemic. It is one of the online mappings that are becoming
popular as useful communication tools. Many innovativetechnologies are being utilized in South Asia, such as monitoring ofslow moving slopes using periodically monitored satellite data overyears, or inspection of landslides utilizing drone to measure theaccurate dimensions of the slides, online mapping of road assets
with geohazard risk information. Artificial Intelligence (AI) uses
for flood modeling or disaster damage assessments are also pilotedin South Asia.
ILEC has contributed to lake environment conservation agenda
globally through organizing 17 World Lake Conferences, many
JICA trainings, and useful publications. On top of these tremendous

Picture 2. Online mapping of road asset hazard risks in Bhutan

global efforts to protect lake environments, further Introducing newcommunication tools, exploring new technology uses, and goodpractice sharing in multi-sector collaboration would be useful topromote mainstreaming lakes in global water agenda.

Masatsugu Takamatsu is a disaster risk management specialist from the World Bank. He received bachelor and master’s degrees in environmental engineering from Kyoto
University Japan and Ph.D. degree in the environmental and water resources engineering from the University of Texas at Austin USA. He is specialized in hydraulic andhydrologic modeling. In his 10-year working experience in the industry, he was mainly involved with urban stormwater management projects including in New York City andBaltimore City. He holds a professional engineer license in the State of Maryland. At the World Bank, he has managed a GFDRR South Asia Regional Geohazard Rik
Management Technical Assistance Program, and has supported various water resilience investment projects in the South Asia Region.
Reference:1) https://blogs.worldbank.org/ja/voices/2020-year-review-impact-covid-19-12-charts2) https://www.un.org/development/desa/en/news/intergovernmental-coordination/south-south-cooperation-2019.html
3) https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

Lake Management Strategies
in the Philippines
Adelina C. Santos-Borja

Vice-Chairperson of ILEC Scientific Committee

The Philippines is endowed with 221 natural lakes. There are no national
policies and guidelines that are specific on the management of lakes and theirbasins, instead there are national laws intended to safeguard their ecologicalintegrity. The lake management structure and governance mechanisms arediverse and are determined by the political, economic, social, cultural andenvironmental factors.
The following are the existing lake management mechanisms in thePhilippines:
1. A lake management authority created through a national law
At present, the only lake management authority that was created in 1966
through Republic Act (RA) 4850 is the Laguna Lake Development Authority(LLDA), which is anchored on the national policy to promote and accelerate
the development and balanced growth of the Laguna Lake area and the region
around the lake. The law emphasized that development activities should be
carried out with due provision on the prevention of undue ecologicaldisturbances, deterioration and pollution. The LLDA officially started its
operation in 1969.

2. Management under the National Integrated Protected Areas System(NIPAS)
Lakes within protected areas are covered by Republic Act 7586 (1992) better
known as the NIPAS ( National Integrated Protected Areas System) law andRA 11038 (2018) or the Expanded NIPAS Act as well as by international
conventions such as the Ramsar Convention which provide internationalguidelines on the wise use of wetlands and habitat management. The
Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Biodiversity Management
Bureau (DENR-BMB) has pointed out some limitations in the declaration ofprotected areas, specifically when lakes are located within them. For somelakes, the tributaries are not included in the protected area or do not sharecommon management unit with the lake. This becomes a challenge for theidentification and management of pollution sources and environmental flows.

4. Recognition and respect for customary laws and traditions of Indigenous Peoples
Lakes located in the ancestral domain of Indigenous Cultural Communities
or Indigenous Peoples are covered by the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act or the
IPRA Law of 1997 (RA 8371). The IPs have priority rights in the management
and use of the natural resources within their ancestral domain with assistance ofgovernment agencies. The indigenous Tagbanua tribe of Coron Island exercises
such role which was officially recognized when they were awarded a
Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title in 1998. The lakes in the island are sacredto the Tagbanwas and are forbidden to outsiders. Only two lakes were
eventually allowed to be opened to the public after the permission of theancestral spirits was obtained through rites performed by the tribal leaders andelders. These are Kayangan Lake, which is in the hall of fame of the cleanestlake in the Philippines and Barracuda Lake with its brackish water and distinct
thermocline. The applicable national laws are likewise implemented.
In all the lake management models and institutions presented, the DENR isalways a key member of the institution and exercises its role on policy making
and regulation. On a regional scale, the LLDA, by virtue of its mandate and its
structure as a semi-government corporation is the apex body on the
management of the Laguna Lake Basin, where the DENR exercises
administrative supervision and policy guidance.
The Integrated Lake Basin Management Approach (ILBM) which evolved
from the ILEC-World Bank led initiative on the assessment of the experiences
and lessons learned from 28 lakes representing five continents has been
adopted by the LLDA in the management of Laguna Lake Basin and thesmaller eight crater lakes and their respective watershed within the region.
Lake basin management challenges are generally similar in almost all lakes
and the means to address them vary due to the interplay of various factors.
Thus, lake basin management is an evolving process that is enriched throughsustained interactions among stakeholders, both in the local and global scale.
The information provided by the Biodiversity Management Bureau of the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources is duly acknowledged.

3. Management through Alliance of Local Government Units andNational Agencies
The Lake Mainit Development Alliance (LMDA), was organized in 1999
through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) among the Province of Surigaodel Norte including four of its municipalities, the Province of Agusan del Norte
including four of its municipalities, six government line agencies represented
by their respective regional offices, and the civil society organization. The
LMDA is responsible for the conservation and protection of Lake Mainit andits watershed and also serves as a coordinating body of the various stakeholder
groups. It is composed of the LMDA Board and a Project Management andCoordination Office which serves as a Secretariat.

3

Establishment of Lake Network in Latin America
Walter Rast

Chairperson of ILEC Scientific Committee (USA)Prof. Emeritus and Director
International Watershed Studies, The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment
Texas State University

The Latin American members of the ILEC ScientificCommittee and its Latin American partners are in the process ofwith the establishment of a Latin American Lakes Network being
considered a major approach for achieving this goal.

establishing a Lakes Network in the Latin American region,

An ILBM Training Course webinar was subsequently hosted

focusing on the sustainable management of its many natural andby El Bosque University in Bogota, Colombia involving

manmade lakes, wetlands and other lentic water systems.

participants from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico,

Efforts to establish the Lakes Network evolved from

Nicaragua, Uruguay and the USA. In addition to insightful

recommendations arising from the 1st South American ILBM

discussions on the ILBM Platform Process, the recommendation

Workshop (“The ILBM Platform: Challenges and perspectives

for establishing a Lakes Network in Latin America was revisited.

for its application in Latin America”) held during July 28-29,

The webinar topics included: (1) Determining participant interest

2017 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. With participants from Argentina,

in being involved in a Latin American Lakes Network; (2)Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay and the USA,

Facilitating the recommendations arising from the previous Rio

Workshop discussions focused on introducing the Internationalde Janeiro ILBM Workshop, including consideration of theLake Environment Committee (ILEC) and its work in Central andbenefits of establishing a Lakes Network; (3) Identification of theSouth America, as well as the need for integrated management ofrelevant topics and activities to be undertaken by the Latinlakes and other lentic water systems in Latin America for theAmerican Lake Network; and (4) Development of asustainable use of their ecosystem services.

common/compatible vision of the Network methodology.

Recommendations resulting from the Workshop discussions

The Latin American Lakes Network is still in the

included: (1) The need for training courses on the ILBM Platform

developmental stage. As an initial unifying activity for theProcess; (2) Establishing a regional nucleus of ILEC in Latin

various involved individuals and agencies, a Survey is being

America; (3) Identifying ongoing Latin American environmental

conducted on the status of the legislation and institutions in the

education water use projects as possible lake case studies; (4)Central and South American countries that specifically address

Diagnosing different institutions involved in the management andthe management of lakes, reservoirs, wetlands and other lentic

conservation of water resources in South American countries; (5)water systems. Prepared in the form of a Survey questionnaire, it

Publishing a Special Issue of the ILEC Journal (Lakes andhas been forwarded to the various individuals participating in the

Reservoirs: Science, Policy and Management for Sustainable

above-noted Workshops, as well as relevant ministries andUse) on management and governance actions focusing on lakes

agencies of their national governments. Surveys also are being

and other lentic water systems in South America; and (6)forwarded to international agencies involved in water-related

Selecting projects already under development to deploy pilot

projects and activities in the Latin American region. Upon

projects using the ILBM Platform Process. Discussion also

receipt of the Surveys, the intention is to analyze, compare andensured on how the recommendations could best be addressed,

contrast the types, magnitude and status of the legislation andinstitutions involved in such activities at the national
level. The resulting information on the status of the
management of these important water systems will be
distributed to national and state governments in Latin
America, as well as being made available to countries inother regions. It also is anticipated that the results will be
the subject of a Special Session at the upcoming 18th
World Lake Conference (“Governance, Resilience andSustainability of Lakes for a Better Society”) to beconvened in November 2021 at the University of
Guanajuato in Mexico. Further information on the Latin
American Lake Network can be found at the Network

Lake Chapala (Mexico)

4

website: www.iiswr.org/latinlakenet

Report from a Former JICA
Training Participant
Zinabu Abrham Lera (Ethiopia)

Environmental and Water Quality Monitoring Senior Expert
Rift Valley Basin Development Office, the Federal Government of Ethiopia

I am an Ecologist anddiversity of thoughts, religion, values, practices, andEnvironmentalist and worksocio-economic backgrounds. These differences allowed us toas an Environmental andevaluate the positive aspects and the qualities that stand out in our

Water Quality Monitoring

country with 80+ ethnics and languages, and most importantly they

Senior Expert in the Basinallowed us to know the elements and aspects that could be

Development Authority

improved or modified to achieve real change towards becoming a

Rift Valley Lakes Basindeveloped country, combining economy, politics, education,

Development Office of the

Rift valley Lakes Basin Development Officetechnology and financing.

Federal Government of Ethiopia. The main functions we perform

In countries like Ethiopia, where agriculture serves as aare to promote and monitor the implementation of integrated water

backbone of the economy as well as ensures the well-being of theresources management process in an equitable and participatory

people, the availability of water resources is quite essential.

manner in the Rift Valley Lakes Basin; ensure that projects,

However, unless the available water resource is utilized with a

activities and interventions related to water in the basin are, in theirbalanced approach of the supply and demand and with careful

content, schedule, impacts and management is in line with theconsideration of sustainability, satisfying the needs of the future

integrated water resources management process; as well as

generation will remain under a question mark. One of the major

undertake activities necessary for, and facilitate, the implementation

challenges of implementing the water use policy in Ethiopia is, as aof integrated water resources management in the basin.

tradition, water is considered simply as a natural resource and most

I was one of the ten participants of the training course on

people are not aware of its economic value. On the contrary, theIntegrated Lake, River and Coastal Basin Management forinvestment requirement of water is high while the time requirement

Sustainable Use and Preservation of Water Resources held in 2018.

to get returns is long.

The course was an eye opener as I realized that some of the aspects

Therefore, as an Ecologist and Environmentalist, I am interested

were possible to do and or improve through my organization andin contributing to the implementation of the various water activities

our Basin. The concept of Integrated Lake Basin Management

related to lake basin management and actively participating in the(ILBM), which was the main focus of the course, enables us toactivities of strategic basin planning, with the purpose of playing aobtain an appropriate approach to achieve sustainable management

great role in my organization to address all components of ILBM

of Lake Basin resources, through a governance arrangement based

and the existing IWRM. With collaboration from universities andon commitment to continuous improvement of the six pillars ofindustries under the modality of university industry linkage, I hope

governance. The six pillars must be integrated with each other toto amplify the concept of ILBM in my basin and basin wide

achieve real progress. The concerned administration has to definecollaborative process, social learning and facilitative leadership as

the relevant policies which are the starting point of the actions to beintermediary support function for proper implementation of lake

carried out; there has to be support and collaboration among various

basin management by using ILBM concept and existing IWRM.

government agencies and institutions; with involvement of all key
stakeholders including
ordinary citizens and theprivate sector; and use of
relevant technological andinformation systems.
It was an educational
experience to interact andshare experiences withother members of the
training course with a

Water quality inspection

Lake basin stakeholder meeting5Ecosystem Service Shared Value Assessment (ESSVA)The ESSVA (Ecosystem Services Shared Value Assessment)

Sample results of an ESSVA questionnaire survey are shown here.

methodology features assignment by stakeholders of scores to the

Respondents in two neighboring areas in a lake basin (Area A and B)

perceived magnitude of Ecosystem Service components, i.e.,

were asked to rate the degree to which various functions of nature

Provisioning Services (PS), Regulating Services (RS), Cultural Services(Regulating Services, namely, biodiversity, climate moderation, pollution(CS) and Supporting Services (SS) for characterizing a lake basin. It wasabsorption, flood mitigation, drought mitigation and erosion mitigation)

originally conceptualized in 2014 as part of the ILBM (Integrated Lakedecreased in the past decades, by giving scores ranging from 1 (none) to

Basin Management) research project supported by the Ministry of

5 (very much). Respondents in Area A gave low scores for all the

Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and conducted at theRegulating Services (mean score 2) while those in Area B gave higher

Research Center for Sustainability and Environment, Shiga University,

scores (mean score 4), with the differences between the scores of the two

Japan. The methodology still at its inspectional stage under different

area being statistically significant (p=0.05). To understand the observed

naming was test-applied first to a United Nations global project called

differences requires matching the ESPP (Ecosystem Service Perception

TWAP (Transboundary Waters Assessment Project) over the period

Profile) with the ESFP (Ecosystem Service Factual Profile, based on

between 2015 and 2016 , with support from a team of several ILEC

factual data) and also understanding the characteristics of each area such

Scientific Committee members and a few ILEC secretariat members, andas geographical features. The observed differences or gaps in perception

in collaboration with several East African Great Lakes NGO members.

provide a convenient entry point for stakeholders in the two regions, for

Encouraged by the interesting observations made on the application

example, to jointly discuss how to narrow the gaps through the ILBM

results, a follow-up pilot project was launched in the subsequent years to

Platform Process.

apply this methodology to three lake basins in the East African Rift
Valley region including Lakes Victoria (Nyanza Bay), Nakuru, Baringo
and Turkana as well as a few selected lake basins in India and in thePhilippines. The methodology provided us with a great deal of insights
particularly through many rounds of workshop deliberations.
While the ESSVA methodology has been regarded as a useful tool forenhancing stakeholder participation in ILBM, some concern has arisen
about the inherent subjectivity in the magnitude of ecosystem service
components, and about the statistical confidence levels of assigned
scores. In the actual application to the ILBM process, however, the pilot
project implementation teams have come to agree that the above
methodological shortcomings will not seriously hinder the adoption of
ESSVA in the ILBM Platform Process. It is because the Platform
Process itself features the cyclicity of gap assessment from one
assessment period to the next, for which the basin stakeholders gradually

In summary, ESSVA provides an opportunity for the basin population

come to consensus on the subjective notions of (1) Institutions to manage

to undertake a comprehensive assessment of their lake basin ecosystem

the lake and its basin for the benefit of all lake basin resource users; (2)and ecosystem services, helping them to shape a shared vision and

Policies to govern people’s use of lake resources, and their impacts oncommon understanding of the issues and challenges facing the lake

lakes; (3) Involvement of People to facilitate all aspects of lake basin

basin. It provides a useful and practical tool to support ILBM Platform

management; (4) Technological Possibilities and Limitations that are

participatory process. This includes providing a methodology tooften quite dictating in regard to long-term decisions; (5) Knowledge andovercome differences by identifying and filling perception gaps between

Information of traditional, as well as modern scientific nature, forming

different stakeholders. It also includes providing a methodology for thethe basis for informed decisions; and (6) Sustainable Finance to support

government to listen to the voice of community, enabling the government

implementation of all of the above activities.

to develop policies and programs to be widely supported and easily

Nonetheless, the ESSVA application guidelines under preparation will

implemented. ESSVA also provides a universal framework for mutual

include as part of the methodological process the usefulness ofcollaboration within a basin and across basins, by enabling stakeholders

conducting statistical analysis for interpretation of the survey results.

to discuss their problems based on the same general framework.

The most suitable statistical methodology is what is generally called
ANOVA, or the “Analysis of Variance”.

6

Victor Muhandiki
Masahisa Nakamura

Our Activities Overview（FY2020）
●May
●June
●August●October●November●December

1 Release of Up-graded World Lake Data Base
12 Receipt of a donation from Kinki Rokin Bank
23 Receipt of a donation from Kansai Mirai Bank, Limited
27 Participation in “Asean Talks” as panelists (Web)27 ILEC/UNEP co-hosted international webinar “Mainstreaming Lakes” with 133 participants from 27 countries (Web)
7 “Autumn Environmental Study Session on the Metagawa River”, joint hosted with the Kinki Rokin Bank
(Moriyama City)
9 WLC18 One Year to Go Pre-Conference Virtual Event (Web)17 Seminar for JICA Nicaragua officers (Web)2021●January 18-22 Training Course of Lake Conservation for officers of Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry (Web)【Picture ❶】25 JICA commissioned training program, “Integrated Lake,
River and Coastal Basin Management (ILLBM) for
Sustainable Use and Preservation of Water Resources”
kicks off (Web, -Feb.12)【Picture ❷】31 Publication of “ILBM Platform Process” in French【Picture ❶】【Picture ❷】●February 26 ILEC Scientific Committee Bureau Meeting (Web)

Replacement of Auditors
As of July 10, 2020, Mr. Toshiyuki Kaneko (Certified Public Accountant) was newly appointed to the auditor as a successorof Mr. Manabu Hishikari.

Global Water Issues and the Importance of Lake Basin Management(Greetings from the newly appointed Secretary General)My name is Koichi Aoki, and I was appointed as the
Secretary General of ILEC in April 2020. I look forward toworking with you.
The world is facing a serious water crisis, listed as the fifthrisk in the 2020 report of “Global Risks”. This is a list of
potential risks by experts that are likely to have a significant
negative impact in the next decade. In addition, the sixth goal
(SDG6) of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
adopted at the UN Summit in September 2015 to promoteaction over the next 15 years, is to “ensure the availability
and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.”Of the water resources that exist on the earth, only 0.01%

is readily available for human use, and 90% of this is in lakes
and their basins. In view of this situation, we emphasize theimportance of lake basin management to the world’s water
agenda mainly through the World Lake Conference. We also
promote global lake conservation activities and education,
supported by the ILEC Scientific Committee members, who
are lake experts from various regions, and the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP). I believe that it is themission of ILEC to pass on clean and safe water resources of
our lakes to the next generation.
I would like to ask for your continued understanding andsupport for ILEC’s activities.

Lake Biwa in early winter7

WLC18 One Year to Go Pre-Conference Virtual Event
In view of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the 18th World
Lake Conference Organizing Committee made a difficult
decision to postpone the Conference originally scheduled to beheld in Guanajuato, Mexico, during 9-14 November, 2020 to a
new date in November, 2021. As a means for providing our
WLC18 prospective participants with a surrogate event between
the original and re-scheduled WLC18 dates, the Organizing
Committee hosted a pre-conference virtual event on 9
November, 2020, with a focus on natural and manmade lakesustainability challenges and solutions.
The event was divided into two parts to take into account thetime differences of participants from around the world. Eachsession consisted of a keynote speech and a panel discussion
based on the keynote speech including some ILEC ScientificCommittee members and an ILEC Board member as the
speakers.
In the first part, Dr. Sandra Azevedo, a member of ILEC
Scientific Committee, gave a keynote speech on the
cyanobacterial problems in South American reservoirs. Then, apanel discussion was followed
by a Q&A session and an
i n t r o d u c t i o n t o I L E C ’s
activities. Similarly, in thesecond part of the conference,
after a presentation on the“Earth Project in Lake Tana,
Ethiopia” by Dr. Shinjiro
Sato, Professor of Soka
University, ILEC ScientificCommittee members
participated as panelists anddiscussed case studies andissues in other regions.
In this pre-conference, panelists from Latin America mainly
emphasized the strong need and interest in lake basin
management in this region. We have a high hope for thisgrowing momentum toward “Mainstreaming Lakes” to befurther accelerated at the forthcoming World Lake Conference.

Thank You for Your Support!
●In the Fiscal Year 2020, ILEC received donations from the following organizations

Kinki RokinSHIGA CHUOU SHINKIN BANK●In the Fiscal Year 2020, ILEC received sponsorships from the following supporting member organizations

Your donation could provide funding to our activities on the world lake environmental conservation.
If you are interested, please visit our webpage at https://www.ilec.or.jp/en/support/

INTERNATIONAL LAKE ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE FOUNDATION (ILEC)

1091 Oroshimo-cho, Kusatsu-city Shiga 525-0001, JAPAN
Tel:+81-77-568-4567 / Fax:+81-77-568-4568 /Website: www.ilec.or.jp / Facebook: www.facebook.com/ilec.english*The latest issue and back issues of this newsletter are also available on our website above.

8