Lake Shinji and Lake Nakaumi - Japan

Lake Shinji and Lake nakaumi are coupled coastal lagoon lake systems in Japan, and these lakes have suffered detrimental efects by human activities, especially during the last 40 years, because of the big national projects aiming at desalination and reclamation of these lakes. In the year 2000, however, the land reclamation project in Lake Nakaumi was officially discontinued, leaving Honjou area unreclaimed. Shortly thereafter, desalination project was also terminated. This was the end of a large and expensive series of public works projects, and in 2005, these two lakes were included in the list of wetlands of international importance, and the efforts to restore the lakes are undergone.