Earth5R's Community-Led Lake Restoration Framework
Earth5R’s Community-Led Lake Restoration Framework: A Scalable Model for Urban Water Bodies Restoring Urban Lakes: A Community-Led Solution for Sustainable Water Management In cities across the world, urban lakes are vanishing at an alarming rate, succumbing to pollution, encroachment, and neglect. According to a 2021 report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), over 70% of urban lakes in India are heavily polluted, making them unfit for human consumption and threatening aquatic biodiversity. In Bengaluru alone, once known as the ‘City of Lakes,’ more than 85% of its lakes are contaminated with sewage and industrial effluents, turning them into toxic cesspools. This widespread degradation of lakes is not just an environmental issue—it has far-reaching consequences on public health, biodiversity, and urban resilience. By empowering local communities with the knowledge, skills, and tools needed for effective lake restoration, Earth5R has demonstrated how grassro...