New Zealand's Lakes
The top scenic lakes in New Zealand's central North Island will take decades to recover from environmental damage. The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has warned that the worst effects of pollution have yet to be seen.
The Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences has shown it takes many years for nutrient-enriched groundwater to move through the region's large volcanic aquifers, so the effect of intensive land-use had yet to reach the lakes.
This means long-term measures must be put in place urgently to make sure the lakes can be returned to a near-pristine state.
Scientists have been warning since the 1980s that some of New Zealand's most beautiful and popular lakes, around Rotorua, are threatened by human activities and byproducts such as farming and sewage.
Water quality has been declining for decades, and toxic algal blooms have become a perennial hazard in many of the lakes. Learn more about the environment in New Zealand.
April 3, 2006 6:40 AM | Category: Cleanup