[Edge-faculty] EGU and Working toward global solutions to drying lakes

[Theresa Kane]

Dear Colleague,

We are aware of your excellent work in this area. We are hoping the note below will capture your interests and involvement.


We are a group of four scientists based in the U.S. (three researchers and one journalist) with extensive recent experience with drying terminal lakes in arid/semi-arid portions of the U.S.  Our particular expertise lies with the Salton Sea right in our backyard. It is California’s largest lake, and like many other lakes in the world, it is experiencing rapid degradation in water quantity and quality and ecosystem health; shifting biogeochemical cycles; intense eutrophication; and high dust, pesticide, and seasonal pathogen loads that are already threatening human populations on and near the margins.  As the lake continues to shrink, our research is exploring the relationships to climate change, lake chemistry, macro- and microfaunal ecology,  and effects on neighboring communities, taking into account factors such as quality of life, public health, and local economies. We examine the broader impacts that extend beyond local boundaries, recognizing the interconnected and fragile nature of our limited natural resources.


We know that you also have a particular interest in analogous systems, including those in your ‘backyard,’ and this shared concern is why we are reaching out to you.  Our ambitious goal is to assemble and coordinate a global community of researchers,  journalists, and diverse other stakeholders with interests in drying lakes and their causes and consequences.  As a first step, we plan to assemble a large group at the annual meeting of the  EGU (European Geoscience Union) this April. The focal point of this get together will be a session (likely oral and poster) to facilitate exchange of shared and unique issues surrounding drying lakes throughout the world.


We plan to follow the many discussions at the meeting (particularly on the poster floor) with evenings and lunches of informal brainstorming with the idea of planning regular (annual) events and exchanges within our community.  The ultimate goal is establishment of a global research group that will support colleagues throughout the world (through shared science, policy experiences, system threats, mitigation strategies, etc.) with the hope of finding solutions through intellectual and resource sharing.  Drying lakes are a subset of climate change (drought and warming), poor land and water management, and over population—and are thus something to integrate more comprehensively into global discussions about our changing planet.


With this in mind, we hope you will submit an abstract to attend the 2024 EGU General Assembly<https://www.egu24.eu/>, to be held 14-19 April 2024, both on-site in Vienna, Austria, and virtually. We have convened a session HS1.1.9, “Lake in Crisis: The global challenge of shrinking lakes in arid and semi-arid regions, causes, and consequences''<https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU24/session/48263>.


Details about the session:


Lakes in crisis: The global challenge of shrinking lakes in arid and semi-arid regions, causes and consequences



This session focuses on the many environmental and ecological challenges linked to shrinking lakes around the world. In the face of intense droughts, increased evaporation with warming temperatures, and greater demand on water resources, lakes worldwide are drying, exposing surrounding regions to diverse consequences that include threats to human health from increased dust emissions and deteriorating water quality. We view this as an opportunity to meet and share common and unique challenges from the many locations in the world impacted by this problem—to work toward solutions and draw further global attention to the issues. Presentations will include, but are not limited to, those describing case studies from specific lake systems experiencing dramatic and rapid declines in size, water quality, and the attendant deleterious environmental impacts. Additional themes include those addressing the common threads that run through these settings, such as increasing salinity and nutrient levels, controls on the amounts and compositions of increasing dust loads, harmful microbiological/biogeochemical effects, dwindling resource availability (e.g., for agriculture), sociopolitical pressures, ecological degradation within the lakes and beyond, and current and future threats to large human populations, among others.


Our EGU session aims to bring attention to the global issue of diminishing lakes, while fostering better understanding and communication among science, policy, and the public. We invite scientists and other stakeholders worldwide to join this effort, contributing diverse perspectives on the challenges posed by these degrading systems.


The deadline for abstract submission is 10 January 2024, 13:00 CET. Registration and fee information is available here<https://www.egu24.eu/attend/register.html>.


We are reaching out to you specifically because of your present and/or past efforts and experience with the topic. Importantly, please share this announcement with your colleagues and any others within or interested in the field.


We aim to cast a big net that captures a big, diverse community interested in the science and solutions of catastrophically drying lakes and the many lessons learned from a global distribution of these systems. As we all know, these conversations must face the reality that water resources will continue to decline, shifting the focus to better resource  management (e.g., water and nutrients), alternative water sources, and minimization of threats to humans and local ecologies.


Thank you for your consideration! We look forward to welcoming you to Vienna or virtually in April and to working with you from that point forward. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns.


We are excited to be moving forward on this vital front.


Tim Lyons, Distinguished Professor of Biogeochemistry and Associate Director of the Salton Sea Task Force, University of California-Riverside

Charlie Diamond, Academic Coordinator, University of California-Riverside

Caroline Hung, PhD Candidate, University of California-Riverside

Virginia Gewin, Science Journalist

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