Planning of the revitalisation of lake shores

Lakes and especially their banks are important habitats for various plants and animals. However, they are also subject to strong usage pressure and have been massively changed by humans. Settlements with infrastructure for housing, transport and recreation were moving ever closer to the shores of the lake. Wetlands on the banks were drained for agricultural use. As a transition between terrestrial and aquatic habitats, natural lake shores have a high diversity of habitats and communities and fulfil a wide range of ecological functions. These are to be restored through revitalization. Revitalization planning is an overarching planning at a strategic level to achieve the long-term goals of the revitalizations. The revitalisation of our waters is a generational task; For the long-term goals, the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) assumes a time horizon of about 80 years.