On International Day of Action for Rivers, 207 organisations including the European Living Lakes Association are demanding the European Union’s Institutions and Member States to adopt the Nature Restoration Law by the end of 2023, commiting to ambitious restoration targets.

The joint statement published today calls upon all EU Member States, Members of the European Parliament and the European Commission to urgently adopt a strong Nature Restoration Law that is fit for purpose to tackle the twin biodiversity and climate crises.

As the organisations explain, the EU Nature Restoration Regulation is the unique opportunity of this decade to change the pathway from continuous deterioration to regeneration, where we steer towards a safe and resilient future of living in harmony with nature. Restoring nature means restoring our greatest ally in tackling the climate crisis and its severe impact, restoring our own health and wellbeing, and restoring our livelihoods and economies. Nature restoration is one of the best investments our society can make. Yet, time is running out.

Lakes and wetlands preserve biodiversity, help fight climate change and provide fresh water to millions of people around the world. But 35% of the world’s wetlands have been lost in the last 50 years – it is urgent to revitalize and restore them.

The joint statement is published on the website of the #RestoreNature campaign.