Strengthening multi-level governance in the Curonian Lagoon to promote wetland restoration

The Curonian Lagoon is one of the most environmentally and socio-economically significant coastal systems in the southeastern Baltic Sea, yet it faces complex ecological and governance challenges that complicate restoration efforts. The lagoon is characterised by persistent eutrophication driven by high nutrient loads originating from the Nemunas River basin and surrounding agricultural areas. This contributes to intensive algal blooms, loss of biodiversity, and reduced ecological resilience. Hydromorphological alterations, including water exchange with the Baltic Sea and sediment accumulation in certain sites of lagoon, further exacerbate ecosystem degradation. Climate change adds additional stress through shifts in water temperature, hydrology, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Anthropogenic activities, such as land-use change in the catchment, dredging operations in the strait, expansion of coastal infrastructure, and tourism pressures, intensify these impacts. At the governance level, fragmented regulatory frameworks and inconsistencies in national and EU definitions of coastal wetlands introduce uncertainty and complicate the development of harmonised restoration approaches. The Curonian Lagoon’s transboundary position also poses significant challenges, as the southern part of the lagoon lies within the Russian Federation. Due to geopolitical constraints and limited data exchange, the project could only engage stakeholders and collect detailed information from the Lithuanian side. This restricts basin-wide assessments. These challenges formed the basis for the Curonian Lagoon’s inclusion as a key case study within the RESTORE4Cs project.

Within the project, several major actions were undertaken to improve understanding of the lagoon’s ecological state and to identify pathways for restoration. One central activity was assessing GHG emissions from lagoon habitats. This provided an initial picture of how climate-relevant gases such as methane and carbon dioxide behave under current ecological conditions in different sites of the lagoon. The project also analysed passive restoration, focusing on ongoing measures that may enhance ecological recovery without major engineering interventions. One activity was applying the SWAT modelling framework to assess land-use change scenarios and their implications for nutrient loads entering the lagoon. These scenarios enabled the project team to illustrate how shifts in agricultural practices, forest cover, and other land-use patterns could either intensify or mitigate eutrophication. In parallel, a policy and governance analysis was conducted to identify regulatory gaps affecting the lagoon, including the lack of harmonised definitions and differing policy requirements for coastal wetlands across institutional levels. Finally, the stakeholder engagement process ensured that scientific findings were shared, discussed, and evaluated, enabling the integration of diverse perspectives into the project’s understanding of restoration feasibility and priorities.

Stakeholder interactions played a vital role throughout the project, while contributing to the co-design of a European Community of Practice for Restoring Wetlands.
Representatives from the Service of Protected Area under the Ministry of Environment, the Curonian Spit National Park Administration, Nemunas Delta regional park administration, Klaipėda University, Neringa city municipality, Klaipėda district municipality and non-governmental organisations all participated in discussions and evaluations at different stages. These interactions provided valuable insights into how different institutions perceive restoration or management challenges and what types of knowledge or tools they find most useful. The stakeholder landscape reflected a diversity of responsibilities: management authorities emphasised practical and policy-aligned information, while academic and NGO stakeholders were more receptive to the scientific and conceptual dimensions presented by the project.

Among the results presented, several themes attracted particular interest. The implemented land-use scenario modelling was widely recognised as a valuable tool for illustrating catchment-lagoon linkages, making it clear how decisions in land use influence outcomes in the lagoon. The GHG assessments also gained attention due to their growing relevance in national climate policy discussions, although some institutions considered the topic still too scientific and not yet ready for operational use. Insights related to policy inconsistencies, such as the absence of a unified definition of the coastal zone, were unexpectedly impactful, highlighting gaps that potentially might affect coordinated restoration planning. Passive restoration discussions were appreciated, though some stakeholders expressed a preference for active measures with more immediate ecological outcomes.

Looking toward the future, planned actions include refining modelling outputs to better support local-scale management decisions, expanding stakeholder engagement activities, and identifying potential pilot areas for demonstrating restoration approaches. Integrating social acceptability monitoring into restoration planning could be of value, expected to support more inclusive and sustainable implementation. The development of an Action Plan can guide how scientific tools and results can be adapted to stakeholder needs.

© Photos and video-documentary by LifeWatch ERIC/ Università del Salento