How PLURALAKES works

PLURALAKES is an international research project funded under the Water4All Partnership, aiming to integrate the diverse values of lake ecosystems into governance processes. Our goal is to secure the long-term provisioning of aquatic ecosystem services for community well-being, while supporting just and sustainable futures for lakes.

To achieve this, we work along two interacting axes:

• Conceptual–methodological development – refining and operationalising the Nature Futures Framework (NFF) and integrating systems knowledge (what is?), target knowledge (what ought to be?), and transformation knowledge (how to?).
• Case-based engagement – working closely with partners and stakeholders in our case study areas in Finland, the UK, and the Netherlands to test, adapt, and embed our approaches in real-world governance processes.

Key Concepts

• Three types of knowledge – Generating systems knowledge, target knowledge, and transformation knowledge forms the backbone of our transdisciplinary approach.
• Nature Futures Framework (NFF) – Developed under IPBES, the NFF makes visible the diverse ways people value nature and uses these plural perspectives to guide governance and decision-making.

Our Methods

We combine qualitative and quantitative approaches to understand and support lake governance:

• Participatory visioning – co-creating desirable futures with stakeholders.
• Systems thinking – mapping dynamics and feedbacks with causal loop diagrams.
• Environmental valuation – integrating stated preference methods such as choice experiments.
• Ecosystem modelling – linking ecological dynamics with ecosystem service outcomes and values.
• Intervention design and optimisation – identifying leverage points and pathways for change.

Our Work Packages

Our research is organised into five interconnected Work Packages. Each WP contributes unique expertise, while working closely with the others to ensure that methods, insights, and outcomes are fully integrated. Together, they allow us to move from mapping lake–society interactions, to modelling system dynamics, to embedding our findings in governance and policy.