International Lake Environment Committee Foundation is established to seek international knowledge exchange and research promotion to develop sustainable management of the world lakes and their basins.
Our Story
Population increase and industrialization around the world lakes induced the excess of the pollutant load and hence the degradation of the water quality and eccosytem the lakes provide. Such issues are prevailing around the world and are acknowldeged as common issues to solve. In 1984 the World Lake Conference was organized at Ohtsu in Shiga Prefecture. Dr. Tolva, the secretary general of United Nation Environment Programme declared the establishment of “International Shiga Committee” and the Government of Shiga Prefecture created the ILEC.
Our Vision
Lakes, which contain about ninety percent of freshwater on the earth, are a vital water resource, constituting a rich and essential component of nature as well as providing a variety of benefits to human beings. In spite of their global importance might be better, many lakes and other inland waters around the world are in a critical condition and will be severely affected by global warming because of their lentic (static) nature as water systems.
In coping with these situations, ILEC has been promoting the sustainable management of lakes and their basins in collaboration with our worldwide counterparts from the academic, administrative and private sectors engaged in the conservation of lakes and other inland waters.
ILEC also promotes international cooperation such as hosting the World Lake Conference, and human resource development through training and educational activities.