Sustainable innovation for the clear waters of Hangzhou West Lake, China: Achievements and insights

A stable aquatic system dominated by submerged macrophytes has been successfully reestablished in Hangzhou West Lake, China's first lake-related UNESCO World Heritage site, for over 15 years. This achievement was accomplished through a long-term synergistic restoration strategy that included paludification prevention, external nutrient loading reduction, internal nutrient control, and stable system regulation. The study highlights the effectiveness of these measures in inhibiting phytoplankton propagation while enhancing water self-purification capacity and landscape function. Building on 2,000 years of management history, this research provides cross-century evidence for eutrophication restoration strategies applicable to similar subtropical shallow urban lakes.

Bai, G., Tang, Y., Liu, Y., Liu, Z., Kong, L., Xu, W., Wang, C., Rao, L., Xia, S., Liu, B., Zhou, Q., Xu, D., He, F., Zhou, M., Guo, G., Mildred, Q., Wu, Z., & Zhang, Y. (2026). Sustainable innovation for the clear waters of Hangzhou West Lake, China: Achievements and insights. The Innovation, 7(3), 101148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xinn.2025.101148