Natural and artificial lakes are a main characteristic of the Alpine Space and belong, with their catchment areas, to the European heritage. During last decades, authorities in charge of lakes management worked to preserve and restore this heritage and its natural resources. They now have to anticipate climate change impacts. SILMAS, by exchanging good practices and testing new methods, will supply its 15 partners with efficient tools for reaching goals of the frame directives (Water and Natura 2000) and the Alpine Convention:

• creation of a virtual laboratory, to define current ecological state of the lakes and anticipate changes due to climatic and biological dynamics,
• assessment of existing governance tools dealing with regulation of land/resources and conflicts solving, then testing decision-making instruments in different lakes sites,
• production of information and education tools for sustainable lakes management and uses, dedicated to decision makers, stakeholders and the young public.

After a productive initial kick off meeting in October 2009, partners began  working on three topics: the effects of climate change on alpine lakes; conflict-solving governance on lakes; and, sustainable education tools. The first workshops, held in winter 2009, gave partners the opportunity to exchange their ideas and methods on the implementation of SILMAS' actions. It was also allowed for the establishment or consolidation of relations with alpine mountains and lakes' stakeholders. In parallel, communication tools have been developed to support the alpine lakes network.

Alpine lakes are fragile environments and are affected by the impacts of climate change. To measure them, Austrian and German partners have already started collecting and analysing  samples. The workgroup on conflict-solving governance have selected pilot sites to monitor experience. With regards to education tools, partners have worked on formation  session  programmes, and on the requirements for the interactive game.  SILMAS now has its own logo, and progress is being made with the website.  Furthermore, SILMAS is in close contact with the other Alpine Space climate change projects, and will participate in the climate change cluster in the future.

First results of climate change and conflict-solving governance tools will be presented during workshops in June 2010. Experiment tools of conflict-solving governance will be tested in the upcoming months. The website goes live in May 2010, and will be followed by a brochure.