Working Together for the Future of the Alpine Lakes
New Zealand’s alpine lakes are among the most pristine and iconic freshwater systems in the world. However, their health cannot be taken for granted. These deep, cold-water ecosystems are shaped by complex interactions between land, water, climate, and people. Understanding and managing them effectively requires more than isolated research or fragmented policy. It calls for genuine collaboration across agencies, disciplines, and communities.
Effective lake management is inherently a collective endeavour. Local government, mana whenua, scientists, industry partners, and communities each hold a piece of the puzzle. When these perspectives are brought together, the result is not only stronger science but more durable, practical solutions. A multi-agency x community approach enables the sharing of data, expertise, and resources to address the interconnected pressures facing our lakes. From land-use change and nutrient inputs, to climate variability and biodiversity decline, these pressures are inextricably linked, which requires interconnected solutions.
Transdisciplinary and evidence-based approaches are key to this collaboration. Lakes research is revealing more about the physical, biological, and social dynamics that define these systems, but knowledge alone is not enough. Translating that understanding into effective environmental management interventions, ones that can be implemented and monitored on the ground, is where real progress occurs. Bridging this gap between research and action is one of the greatest challenges, and opportunities, for freshwater management in Aotearoa.
The 2025 Alpine Lakes Forum, hosted by WAI Wānaka in partnership with Kāi Tahu, the Otago Regional Council, and the University of Otago, will bring together mana whenua, researchers, policy-makers, industry representatives, and community leaders to explore exactly these themes. Over two days in Wānaka, participants will share new insights into lake and catchment science, discuss the role of valuing nature in decision-making, and examine how communities can contribute to evidence-based freshwater management.
The Forum aims to create a space where science meets indigenous and local knowledge. Where questions about the future of New Zealand’s alpine lakes are explored through collaboration, not in isolation. Whether you are a researcher working on limnology, a community group or resident interested in protecting the alpine lakes, or a policy-maker shaping freshwater regulation, the Alpine Lakes Forum offers an opportunity to connect, learn, and contribute to a shared understanding of how we can protect these remarkable ecosystems for generations to come.
Join the conversation
26–27 November 2025
Day 1 | Freshwater Futures
Lake Wānaka Centre | Wednesday 26 November 2025, 12:30pm – 6:30pm
Focus: Regional science, monitoring insights, and community engagement
Day 2 | Researchers’ Perspectives: Provocations & Possibilities
Edgewater Resort, Wānaka | Thursday 27 November 2025, 12:00pm – 7pm
Focus: Academic research, ecosystem values, and deeper scientific inquiry
