Ibaraki Kasumigaura Declaration 2018
Having expressed and exchanged our views on many water issues at various international
conferences, including past World Lake Conferences, we have worked to mobilize appropriate
actions around the world to address a range of water issues, including water purification,
ecosystem recovery and conservation, climate change, and sustainable water use.
Furthermore, with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) having been adopted at theUnited Nations Summit in 2015, countries around the world have moved to initiate positiveefforts aimed at achieving those goals.
Nevertheless, in the SDGs and in water-related global fora, reference to lakes and other lentic
waters around the world has been quite limited and very inadequate. The environmental
quality of many lakes and other lentic water systems continues to deteriorate, and theiraquatic biodiversity is being seriously impaired because of anthropogenic pressures such asincreased pollution loads, socioeconomic development of lakes and their basins, and global
climate change.

Once seriously degraded, restoring a lake environment to its former

condition is difficult and, as a result, the range and magnitude of ecosystem services originallyprovided by lakes diminishes markedly.
Thus, we the participants at the 17th World Lake Conference must reaffirm that lakes andother lentic waters are critically important water environments on our planet, and should bemainstreamed in upcoming United Nations and other major international fora on water.
Accordingly, we must strive to provide our experience and wisdom so that humans and lakes
may interact in a positive manner in order that humanity will be able to perpetually benefit
from the blessings provided by lakes and their ecosystem services, while also maintaining thehealth of lake environments.
Extensive discussion has taken place at this 17th World Lake Conference on the theme,“Harmonious Coexistence of Humans and Lakes: Toward Sustainable Ecosystem Services.”
In consideration of these discussions and the views expressed at the satellite venues duringside events prior to the Conference, and based on the overriding principles of “sharing thebenefits of ecosystem services fairly and equitably” and “utilizing ecosystem services
sustainably,” we participants unanimously declare the following:
1. Share the benefits of ecosystem services fairly and equitably
Lake ecosystem services are grouped into four important categories, including supporting

services that include recycling of water and nutrients, as well as maintenance of
biodiversity; provisioning services that provide water resources necessary for life,
agriculture, fisheries, and industrial use; regulating services such as flood control andnatural purification functions; and cultural services that include religious beliefs, art,
ethnic historical property, food culture, wild bird habitats, water sports and fishing.
The previous balance among these ecosystem service components is no longer in balance,with a wide range of problems resulting as a consequence of this imbalance.
In order to maintain the balance between ecosystem services, and to ensure these services
are shared fairly and equitably, all those involved, including basin residents, farmers andfishermen, and business operators, must understand the impacts their activities have on
the environment and also must be aware of their own responsibilities and assume their fairshare of the burden and expenses in order to minimize the impacts. Moreover, governments
must select and implement measures that are truly effective in cooperation with all parties
benefitting from lake ecosystem services, including periodically reviewing and verifying theeffects of those measures, before utilizing the outcomes of such reviews in developing or
implementing new measures. To this end, it is essential for basin residents, farmers andfishermen, business operators, government employees, citizen groups, researchers andothers to build and enhance effective partnerships focusing on this goal.
In regions facing numerous challenges such as population growth, poverty and politicalinstability, it is not easy for ecosystem services to be shared fairly and equitably. Therefore,
countries must promote international collaboration, such as strengthening the provision offinancial, institutional or technological information and support, while also considering theuseful role of indigenous peoples and community residents. In addition, efforts must bedirected to ensuring stakeholders from different national governments, local governments
and upstream and downstream districts cooperate with each other, and share information
on relevant issues and solutions from their respective lake basins.
Particularly in terms of integrated lake basin initiatives, in addition to the Integrated
Water Resources Management (IWRM) and Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM)
approaches currently being promoted worldwide, it is important to promote and enhance
Integrated Lake Basin Management (ILBM) as a guideline for facilitating the gradual andcontinuous assessment, restoration and improvement of ecosystem services in lake
environments.

2. Utilize ecosystem services sustainably
Recognizing that lake ecosystem services comprise various forms of capital, including
natural capital and human capital, and that these forms of capital are organicallyinterconnected and change according to the needs and circumstances of the times, we must
endeavor to ensure the health of lakes and other lentic water systems in order to ensure
the next generation also can share their ecosystem services.
For natural capital to be handed down, we must first maintain the balance between
respective ecosystem services. Accordingly, it is important to sort out the issues andinformation related to lake environments and for all stakeholders, including basin
residents, farmers and fishermen, and business operators, to discuss and develop acommon compatible vision for the future of lake basins based on scientific andsocioeconomic lake assessments conducted globally,

Furthermore, we must also clarify

the causes of the declines in natural capital and restore it by making full use of theknowledge and technology learned at this Conference, and by efficiently and scientificallyaccumulating and analyzing monitoring data regarding the environment and biota of lakes
and their basins.
To increase human capital, educational institutions, as well as basin residents, farmers andfishermen, business operators, government employees and other relevant stakeholders, etc.,
must cooperate and collaborate to nurture competency in solving international problems
that is derived from a local perspective, in anticipation of a sustainable society. This
includes taking advantage of learning programs that incorporate the traditional wisdom oflocal communities, which are designed for all generations ranging from children to adults,
to learn about lakes and their issues. To this end, sessions devoted solely to children andyouth were held at this World Lake Conference. In addition to making presentations on
their prolific activities, there was a lively exchange of opinions. A major recommendation
was to value “perception” to influence people’s mindset, “collaboration” to expand thenetwork of friends, and “participation” to pursue continuous activities for environmentalconservation. Recognizing that children are also an important partner for sharing thebenefits of ecosystem services fairly and equitably, we must respect the autonomy andindependence of this next generation, paying careful attention to the future they envision,as well as the warnings they give to our present generation.
On the other hand, the risk of natural disasters attributable to global climate change andcompetition among water users have become urgent issues for lake basins and theirstakeholders. Recognizing that adaptation to climate change is an inevitable part of lakemanagement, we must endeavor to maximize the inherent ability of lake ecosystems toadapt to climate change.
Recognizing that ecosystem services derived from lakes, including local history and culture,
are rare assets of that region, we must take pride in them, and strive to maintain anddevelop them, and well as maintaining the balance between our use of current ecosystemservices, and ensuring the next generations also can fairly and equitably enjoy theseservices!